Nicotine-free e-cigarettes can damage blood vessels Nicotine-free e-cigarettes can damage blood vessels A single e-cigarette can be harmful to the body’s blood vessels—even when the vapor is entirely nicotine-free, according to a new study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Lung cell transplant boosts healing after the flu Researchers successfully transplanted a special type of lung cell called AT2 cells (labeled in green) from healthy mice into mice that had experienced a severe flu infection. The AT2 cells that engrafted (in red) appear to have helped the animals recover more robustly. (Image: Aaron Weiner/School of Veterinary Medicine) Lung cell transplant boosts healing after the flu A serious case of the flu can cause lasting damage to the lungs. In a study in mice, researchers found that transplanting cells from the lungs of healthy animals enhanced healing in others that had had a severe respiratory infection.
Treatment doctor tested on himself can put others into remission Treatment doctor tested on himself can put others into remission Five years ago, David C. Fajgenbaum both a Penn Medicine researcher and patient, tried an experimental treatment for Castleman disease based on his laboratory research findings in the hopes of saving his own life. He has been in remission ever since.
Looking into the immune system to better fight disease Looking into the immune system to better fight disease A rare, short-lived population of immune cells in the bloodstream may serve as ‘periscopes’ to monitor immune status via lymph nodes deep inside the body, researchers say.
A cohort study comes of age A cohort study comes of age For nearly two decades, a major national study of kidney disease led and coordinated at Penn has defined key risk factors in an all-too-common silent epidemic.
Keeping parasites from sticking to mosquito guts could block disease transmission Mosquitoes infected with the parasite Crithidia fasciculata may offer a valuable model for studying other parasite diseases, according to a study led by Penn Vet’s Michael Povelones and Penn State Brandywine’s Megan Povelones. Here, a microscopic image shows the hindgut of Aedes aegypti mosquito infected with Crithidia expressing green fluorescent protein. (Image: Michael Povelones) Keeping parasites from sticking to mosquito guts could block disease transmission Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine show how a new model for studying the way parasites known as kinetoplastids adhere to mosquitoes’ insides could illuminate strategies for curbing diseases.
A new drug target for chemically induced Parkinson’s disease Findings from Penn Vet suggest a potential new target for treating Parkinson's, an enzyme that wreaks its damage on dopamine-producing neurons. A new drug target for chemically induced Parkinson’s disease An enzyme that modifies chemicals formed in the body by alcohol, tobacco, and certain foods may be a new target for treating Parkinson’s disease. The altered compounds may play a role in triggering the onset or advancing the progression of the neurodegenerative condition.
Novel model for studying intestinal parasite could advance vaccine development A section of intestine from an infected mouse shows Cryptosporidium tyzzeri parasites in red. The Penn Vet-led team is the first to sequence, study, and manipulate a naturally occurring mouse Cryptosporidium. (Image: Muthugapatti Kandasamy, Adam Sateriale, and Boris Striepen) Novel model for studying intestinal parasite could advance vaccine development The intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium causes frequent outbreaks in the U.S., and has been historically difficult to study. A novel model of infection from Penn Vet serves as a new tool to pursue a vaccine.
How to quell a cytokine storm How to quell a cytokine storm An international team finds new ways to dampen an overactive immune system, and can influence new drug targets for lupus and other autoimmune disorders.
We’re only as good as our microbiomes are happy We’re only as good as our microbiomes are happy Understanding the microbiome, the collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the gut, is helping to sort out the intricacies of diet, chronobiology, cancer treatment, and more.