10.20
Health Sciences
A how-to guide for PennOpen Pass
A how-to guide for PennOpen Pass
Penn Today provides details on how to use the daily and exposure symptom tracker, what members of the Penn community should do if they receive a Red Pass, and new platforms available for visitors accessing campus spaces.
At-home COVID-19 results with the click of a smartphone
At-home COVID-19 results with the click of a smartphone
Penn researchers have developed a highly-sensitive rapid antigen test that can detect small loads of SARS-CoV-2.
mRNA COVID-19 vaccines induce T-cell responses in multiple sclerosis patients
mRNA COVID-19 vaccines induce T-cell responses in multiple sclerosis patients
Research from Penn Medicine shows mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are effective at inducing T-cell responses in multiple sclerosis patients who receive B cell-depleting Infusions even if their antibody responses are diminished.
Respiratory care program allows patients with neuromuscular disorders to thrive at home
Respiratory care program allows patients with neuromuscular disorders to thrive at home
Penn Medicine’s Jay and Randy Fishman Program for Home Assisted Ventilation has implemented dramatic advances in respiratory support and multidisciplinary care so patients can live safely at home.
Engineering CAR T cells to activate a bodily response to solid tumors
Engineering CAR T cells to activate a bodily response to solid tumors
A new Penn study shows that CAR T cells expressing RN7SL1, a naturally occurring RNA, can activate the body’s natural immune cells against difficult-to-treat cancers.
In hard-hit neighborhoods, Philly CEAL outreach aims to address COVID disparities
In hard-hit neighborhoods, Philly CEAL outreach aims to address COVID disparities
Through community engagement and improved information dissemination, researchers at Penn Nursing, Penn Medicine, and Annenberg, in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia, are working to increase vaccination and testing rates and decrease new COVID-19 infections.
Deborah J. Culley on her vision for the future of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Culley discusses her past research on the connection between anesthesia and post-operative cognitive dysfunction and her new role as chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care.
2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences awarded to mRNA pioneers Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó
2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences awarded to mRNA pioneers Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó
Weissman and Karikó are honored for engineering modified RNA technology which enabled rapid development of effective COVID-19 vaccines.
Smart dental implants
Smart dental implants
Geelsu Hwang of the School of Dental Medicine and colleagues are developing a smart dental implant that resists bacterial growth and generates its own electricity through chewing and brushing to power a tissue-rejuvenating light.
Breast cancer diagnosis in the ‘between’ year: Body mass index matters
Breast cancer diagnosis in the ‘between’ year: Body mass index matters
While breast density—a characteristic that can help tumors hide from mammography—has attracted a lot of attention from clinicians, a new study finds evidence that body mass index, or BMI, is also important, especially in the year between screenings.
In the News
The New York Times
Waiting on U.S. mandate, some nursing homes are slow to vaccinate staff
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel said lower COVID-19 vaccination rates lead to more infections. “We should be clear that mandates have been working and have been working in every industry that has tried them,” he said.
FULL STORY →
Scientific American
Four success stories in gene therapy
Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire of the Perelman School of Medicine developed a gene therapy to treat blindness in patients with retinal dystrophy caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. “These people can now do things they never could have dreamed of doing, and they’re more independent and enjoying life,” said Bennett.
FULL STORY →
ABC News
Why breakthrough COVID deaths can be misunderstood
Edward Stadtmauer of the Perelman School of Medicine advised cancer patients to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “If you have abnormal plasma cells to begin with or are getting therapy that might suppress or damage plasma cells, you can see why that this group of patients may have the most difficulty responding to a COVID infection and responding to vaccines,” he said. “If there is any group of patients who should be vaccinated and get a booster, it is this group of patients.”
FULL STORY →
ABC News
Why COVID boosters weren't tweaked to better match variants
John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine said there’s no guarantee that a booster shot retooled to target the delta variant would work better than a general COVID-19 vaccine booster.
FULL STORY →
Fortune
Same vaccines, but different fatality rates: Why are some COVID outbreaks worse than others?
John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “We’ve learned more in the last year and a half about human immunology and human vaccine responses than we probably learned in the previous several decades.”
FULL STORY →