10.26
Michele W. Berger
Senior Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Medicine
Priming the immune system to attack cancer
Priming the immune system to attack cancer
An international team, co-led by the School of Dental Medicine’s George Hajishengallis, showed how immune “training” transforms certain immune cells to target tumors.
Media’s reporting on gun violence does not reflect reality
Media’s reporting on gun violence does not reflect reality
A new study looks at media reports in three cities and finds half of victims were covered in the news, but a disproportionate amount of attention was given to less common circumstances and victims.
Magnetic field and hydrogels could be used to grow new cartilage
Magnetic field and hydrogels could be used to grow new cartilage
Instead of using synthetic materials, a Penn Medicine study shows magnets could be used to arrange cells to grow new tissues.
New insights into autoimmune disease
New insights into autoimmune disease
According to research by the School of Dental Medicine’s George Hajishengallis and colleagues, novel insights into a pathway that restrains the immune response opens up new avenues for treating inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
Penn Medicine votes, and so should you: How to vote safely in 2020
Penn Medicine votes, and so should you: How to vote safely in 2020
The Penn Medicine Votes initiative, and Penn Medicine’s partnership with VotER helps staff and patients navigate a safe way to vote either before or on Election Day.
Workplace wellness programs could improve if more personalized
Workplace wellness programs could improve if more personalized
In a program that used three different types of behavioral nudges, a Penn Medicine study showed significantly different results for people with different personal and psychological characteristics.
Taking on HIV and oral health
Taking on HIV and oral health
Embarking on a new study of people living with HIV, the School of Dental Medicine’s Temitope Omolehinwa hopes to build data on an understudied issue.
A post-pandemic path to solving the nursing home crisis
A post-pandemic path to solving the nursing home crisis
A collaboration of experts across Penn schools has created a detailed, long-term policy plan for nursing homes, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Nudges and machine learning triples advanced care conversations
Nudges and machine learning triples advanced care conversations
During the pandemic, a Penn-developed algorithm helped sustain end-of-life care discussions with patients with cancer.
Five Penn faculty elected to the National Academy of Medicine
Five Penn faculty elected to the National Academy of Medicine
Five faculty from Penn are among the newest members of the National Academy of Medicine: William Beltran of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Matthew McHugh of the School of Nursing, and Ronald DeMatteo, Raina Merchant, and Hongjun Song of the Perelman School of Medicine.
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In the News
6ABC.com
Dr. David Fajgenbaum and Ajay Raju—Overheard part II
David Fajgenbaum of the Perelman School of Medicine was interviewed about surviving Castleman Disease.
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The New York Times
Dermatology has a problem with skin color
Susan Taylor of the Perelman School of Medicine co-authored “Dermatology for Skin of Color,” a textbook about treating skin conditions in people with darker skin tones. “We shouldn’t have to write separate textbooks—that information should be integrated into the quote-unquote standard textbooks,” she said.
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Forbes
Treating HIV and tuberculosis simultaneously could greatly boost patient survival
Gregory Bisson of the Perelman School of Medicine authored a study that showed it is safe to treat patients with HIV and tuberculosis for both diseases simultaneously. “Our results show that antiretrovirals have benefits that far outweigh their risks related to adverse effects, especially in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients,” he said.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
How microaggressions in health care hurt minorities
Shreya Kangovi of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on the disconnect between patients of color and their health care providers.
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The Atlantic
Our bodies process medicines best at certain times of day
Garret FitzGerald of the Perelman School of Medicine commented on research that found that drug administration in hospitals is closely tied to clinician schedules. “Any of us that are physicians know that a lot of hospital behavior is driven by rounding times, and those rounding times are chosen for all sorts of reasons that don’t necessarily have any particular scientific basis,” he said.
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The New York Times
Five-minute coronavirus stress resets
Research by Veena Graff of the Perelman School of Medicine found that serene music can be highly effective in decreasing preoperative anxiety in patients.
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