4.23
Health Sciences
A bad bout of flu triggers ‘taste bud cells’ to grow in the lungs
The discovery of these seemingly out-of-place sensing cells may lend insight into possibilities for protecting lung function in people who experience severe influenza infections.
Perelman School of Medicine students find their match
On March 15, 146 medical students from the Perelman School of Medicine celebrated Match Day—the national, annual ceremony, during which students learn where they will spend the next chapter of their journeys toward becoming physicians and surgeons.
The placebo cure
Drug researchers use control groups to measure the efficacy of their drug tests. What happens when the control group responds? Science proves the placebo effect is indeed medicine itself.
An implant to blunt opioid effects
A study by Penn Medicine researchers finds a slow-release naltrexone implant helps HIV patients with opioid dependence adhere to medications and prevent relapse.
Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER
Despite effective medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine and methadone, few people receive treatment. The ongoing challenge is to expand access to these lifesaving treatments to people who need them the most.
Western bias in human genetic studies is ‘both scientifically damaging and unfair’
In a commentary in the journal Cell, PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff and Giorgio Sirugo shine a light on the lack of ethnic diversity represented in genomic studies, and the consequences for health and medicine.
What is esketamine?
Following FDA approval of esketamine as a nasal spray to address otherwise untreatable cases of depression, Michael Thase, a professor of psychiatry at Penn Medicine, explains what it is and how it came to be.
Kevin B. Mahoney named CEO of University of Pennsylvania Health System
The Penn Medicine leader, who will assume this new role on July 1, is praised for developing visionary health system infrastructure and supporting lifesaving innovations in medicine.
Got milk? Penn Vet helps animal farmers get more from healthy herds
The Penn Vet Center for Animal Health and Productivity brings veterinarians directly to farms to help clients improve health and productivity in food animal herds and flocks.
Patients discharged to home care have higher rates of hospital readmissions
A Penn study highlights important tradeoffs between home versus nursing facilities as the cost for post-acute care rises and payment models shift.
In the News
U.S. News & World Report
What is syphilis, and why are rates rising?
Amy Forrestel of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the symptoms, spread, and long-term effects of syphilis. If left untreated, the sexually transmitted infection “can wreak a lot of havoc” on the body, said Forrestel.
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The Washington Post
A smarter way to think about willpower
Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts and Sciences and Katherine Milkman of the Wharton School are among co-authors of an op-ed about self-control. While many believe Americans’ willpower is on the decline, the authors write, “the scant scientific evidence on the question suggests that if anything, the capacity to delay gratification may be increasing.”
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NPR
First U.S. patients treated with CRISPR as human gene-editing trials get underway
A clinical trial led by Edward Stadtmauer of the Perelman School of Medicine will be using CRISPR to treat cancer patients.
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Associated Press
Senior’s weakness for scams may be warning sign of dementia
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine said a recent study on aging and scam awareness doesn’t prove a link between susceptibility and cognitive decline in seniors. However, Karlawish says, the results “should be a call to action to health care systems, the financial services industry and their regulators.”
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The Washington Post
New cancer therapies offer great hope, but there can be surprising complications
Ravi Parikh of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about rapid advances in cancer therapies. While excited about the possibilities, Parikh notes that new treatments come with new side effects, among other complications.
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