Veterinary Medicine

The efficient delivery of synthetic mRNA to the retina has been a barrier to mRNA-based treatments for vision loss. A new study from Penn Vet has found that coating mRNA-lipid complexes (lipoplexes) with polyethylene glycol (PEG)-lipid derivatives can enhance their stability and penetration into retinal tissue.

Penn Vet researchers have identified metabolic stress as an obstacle to cell transplants, highlighting a critical window for cell-based retinal repair.

A new study by a team of vision scientists from the Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies at Penn Vet, led by William A. Beltran, have worked to demonstrate that a novel surgical tool used previously in gene and cell therapy clinical trials can place therapies directly beneath the retina using a minimally invasive approach.

Thomas Parsons, Marie A. Moore Endowed Chair and director of Penn Vet’s Swine Teaching and Research Center, has pioneered a more efficient, humane way to feed mother pigs. Daniel Foy is the co-founder and CEO of the tech firm AgriGates, a Philadelphia firm that is turning technology into a next-generation tool for raising and managing livestock. The two are among the first recipients of Pennsylvania’s new Agricultural Innovation Grants, among 88 innovators from 45 counties that put forth cutting-edge solutions and technologies to move Pennsylvania agriculture into the future.

Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine unveil the critical role of secretory immunoglobulin M (sIgM) in maintaining microbiota balance, regulating metabolism, and protecting against disease.