3/14
Health Sciences
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Is This Viral Trend Really the Ultimate Cure for Bloat?
Anish A. Sheth of the Perelman School of Medicine says there’s no medical evidence that topical castor oil has any medically therapeutic benefits.
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Children, teens face 25% higher risk for adverse GI outcomes after COVID-19 infection
According to a study by Ph.D. student Dazheng Zhang of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues, children and adolescents experienced increased risk for gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders after COVID-19 infections.
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Pennsylvania doctors reflect on COVID-19 pandemic 5 years later
Raina Merchant of the Perelman School of Medicine says that Penn Medicine had to be nimble during the COVID-19 pandemic to respond to many changes in information and optimize care for patients.
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13 changes veterinarians would never ignore in their dogs
Katie Krebs of the School of Veterinary Medicine offers advice on observing breathing problems in cats and dogs.
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Mutated DNA restored to normal in gene therapy advance
Kiran Musunuru of the Perelman School of Medicine says that a new infusion offers the hope of precisely treating other genetic diseases by fixing mutations, an alternative to current gene therapies.
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