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Health Sciences
Two from Penn named to new class of AAAS Fellows
Noted for their contributions to dental and biological sciences, respectively, Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and Joshua Plotkin of the School of Arts and Sciences are part of the newest cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
PCI event recognizes faculty trailblazers
A Penn Center for Innovation event on Wednesday will celebrate this year’s 100-plus patent awardees and honor individuals with the most impressive startups, inventions, devices, and deals.
A link between anti-malaria drugs and cancer treatments, explained
The Abramson Cancer Center study is the first to identify what drugs known as chloroquines are targeting when used for cancer treatment.
Modeling the most common form of vision loss in older adults
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in people older than 50. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia and colleagues have developed a model system that mimics many features of the human condition, giving scientists a platform to gain a deeper understanding of risk factors and possible treatments.
To resolve inflammation, location matters
A single protein can both restrain the initiation of inflammation and help to actively resolve it, according to new research led by George Hajishengallis of the School of Dental Medicine. He and his colleague found that the type of cell that secretes the protein determines which activity the protein promotes.
All hands on deck: Fentanyl in Philadelphia
In 2017, fentanyl surpassed heroin as the leading drug involved in overdose deaths, increasing from 57 percent of opioid-related deaths in 2016 to 84 percent in 2017.
Racial disparities in sudden cardiac death rates cannot be explained by known risk factors
Despite controlling for factors including income, smoking, and cholesterol levels, black patients remain at high risk.
How to survive baseball’s ‘most fearsome injury’
There is one injury that can thwart both an all-star pitcher with the Chicago Cubs and a teen practicing to make the varsity team: a torn labrum.
The ‘immunorevolution’ has begun
Penn Medicine experts gathered for a panel discussion about their innovative new approach to harness the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.
Staying alert to the rare but real risks of acute flaccid myelitis
Sarah Hopkins, a pediatric neurologist at the Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, has seen an increase in cases of the paralyzing condition this year. She explains what parents and pediatricians should watch for.
In the News
Smithsonian Magazine
Why did humans lose their fur?
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Sarah Millar discussed human hair growth patterns. Millar said, of a recently discovered inhibitor protein, “Dkk2 is enough to prevent hair from growing but not to get rid of all control mechanisms. There’s a lot more to look at.”
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Science
What now for human genome editing?
The Perelman School of Medicine’s James Wilson discussed possible venues for the scientific oversight of controversial research. The FDA could be a good option, he suggested, but the organization would have to change its confidentiality restrictions to supervise effectively.
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KYW Newsradio (Philadelphia)
Justin Morrison: Penn’s impact player on the field and in the lab
Senior Justin Morrison of Swedesboro, N.J., spent last summer working with Penn Presbyterian Medical Center on a study about traumatic brain injuries. “It was really cool working with Dr. Sangobowale knowing that he was a … Penn alumni who was on the field doing the same things I was,” said Morrison.
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Reader’s Digest
The 10 most common types of cancer in the United States
Thomas Karasic of the Perelman School of Medicine weighed in on treatments for liver and pancreatic cancers.
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Today
Died of a broken heart? The science behind close couple deaths
David Casarett of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the phenomenon of spouses dying shortly after one another. Casarett said social and cultural factors may play a role, as in cases when “the surviving spouses stop taking care of themselves. Sometimes they become depressed.”
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