12.1
Health Sciences
Working hand in hand with the nation’s largest integrated care system
Working hand in hand with the nation’s largest integrated care system
In a unique partnership, Penn Nursing collaborates with the Veterans Health Administration on a range of issues, from pain management to end-of-life care.
Positive results in first-in-U.S. trial of CRISPR-edited immune cells
Positive results in first-in-U.S. trial of CRISPR-edited immune cells
Genetically editing a cancer patient’s immune cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, then infusing those cells back into the patient appears safe and feasible based on early data from the first-ever clinical trial to test the approach in humans in the United States.
To monitor cancer therapy, researchers tag CAR T cells with imaging markers
To monitor cancer therapy, researchers tag CAR T cells with imaging markers
With CAR T cell therapy, a patient’s own immune cells are genetically modified and inserted back into the body to find and kill cancer. Now scientists have now discovered a new way to track CAR T cells in the body.
Bariatric surgery is safe for teens with morbid obesity
Bariatric surgery is safe for teens with morbid obesity
A new Penn Medicine study shows the risks of complications and readmissions may be lower than the risks associated with lifelong obesity.
An easier way of sneaking antibodies into cells
An easier way of sneaking antibodies into cells
Penn Engineers have found a plug-and-play solution that makes antibodies compatible with the delivery vehicles commonly used to ferry nucleic acids through the membrane of a cell without damaging either.
Blood test can predict prognosis in deadly brain cancer
Blood test can predict prognosis in deadly brain cancer
A Penn study points to clinical utility of liquid biopsy in glioblastoma, allowing doctors the ability to measure the progression of the cancer based on the amount of cell-free DNA in the bloodstream
Estrogen’s opposing effects on mammary tumors in dogs
Estrogen’s opposing effects on mammary tumors in dogs
Estrogen’s role in canine mammary cancer is more complex than previously understood. New findings may help explain why dogs spayed at a young age are more likely to develop more aggressive cancers.
Algorithm identifies advance care planning needs
Algorithm identifies advance care planning needs
A Penn-developed system can be used to ensure that doctors talk to cancer patients about their values and goals before it is too late.
Basser Center takes aim at BRCA
Basser Center takes aim at BRCA
Twenty-five years after the discovery of genetic mutations that dramatically increase cancer risk, the Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA is building scientific knowledge alongside public awareness about BRCA-related cancers.
Lifelong no longer: New research on TB infection rarely leads to active disease
Lifelong no longer: New research on TB infection rarely leads to active disease
A Penn-led study suggested majority will not develop disease even if a test shows positive results, citing that the infecting organism, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is likely dead, wiped out naturally by people’s immune systems.
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Dental school grads find it hard to beat back student debt
Dean Mark Wolff of the School of Dental Medicine said dental school tuition has increased because dentistry, in general, has gotten more expensive. “You used to get the X-rays in your mouth taken with film, put inside your mouth. Today, we put sensors inside the mouth, capture it directly into the computer,” he said. “Film used to cost a few dollars a pack. That sensor is a $7,000 sensor.”
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U.S. News & World Report
Antarctic study shows isolation, monotony may change the human brain
Alexander Stahn of the Perelman School of Medicine led a study that found a volume decrease in the hippocampi of explorers who spent 14 months at a research station in Antarctica. “It was an average of about 7%, which is really big in terms of brain changes,” he said.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Why mandated nurse-to-patient ratios have become one of the most controversial ideas in health care
Linda Aiken of the School of Nursing said that mandated nurse-to-patient ratios result in fewer complications, infections, and injuries, as well as lower mortality rates.
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The Washington Post
Do NAD-boosting supplements fight aging? Not according to current research
Joseph Baur of the Perelman School of Medicine said that while supplements claiming to increase NAD levels and improve longevity are unlikely to do harm, they’re ineffective when it comes to actually extending human life. “There have been several short-term clinical trials that have been mostly disappointing,” he said.
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Men’s Health
Wait, is it safe to take cold medicine when you’re breastfeeding?
Anna Graseck of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “Over-the-counter cold medicines are generally safe for breast feeding moms,” but warned that anything containing the decongestants pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine can impact the milk supply.
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