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Health Sciences
Three-dimensional printing turns fiction into medical reality
Three-dimensional printing turns fiction into medical reality
One of its most significant impacts in health care is in the area of “traditional prototyping”—the process leading to designing medical devices.
When a fix for one vision problem causes another
When a fix for one vision problem causes another
Aging diminishes the ability of the eyes to focus up close. New Penn research reports that monovision, a common prescription lens correction to mitigate this issue, can cause dramatic misperceptions of depth and 3D direction for objects in motion.
Taking out the protein garbage becomes more difficult as neurons age
Taking out the protein garbage becomes more difficult as neurons age
As cells age, their ability to remove damaged proteins and structures declines, which could be a risk factor for neurodegenerative brain diseases.
Brain matter altered in U.S. personnel who developed neurological symptoms in Cuba
Brain matter altered in U.S. personnel who developed neurological symptoms in Cuba
Images reveal key brain differences, particularly in the cerebellum, between impacted patients and healthy individuals, which may underlie clinical findings previously reported by the Penn team.
A new cancer drug, thanks to a new approach
A new cancer drug, thanks to a new approach
Researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center helped bring new hope to patients with multiple myeloma with a drug that targets the command center of a cancer cell.
Early and ongoing weight stigma linked to internal weight shaming
Early and ongoing weight stigma linked to internal weight shaming
Self stigma surrounding weight is associated with poor mental and physical health, and a new study identifies key characteristics of people who are most prone to this internalization.
Five questions with Kevin Mahoney
Five questions with Kevin Mahoney
Kevin B. Mahoney, a 23-year veteran of Penn Medicine, became CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System on July 1. In a Q&A, Mahoney shares his expertise and inspiration on Penn Medicine’s strengths, where it can improve, and a little insight into his downtime.
Further testing on sunscreen is needed. That’s no reason to avoid it
Further testing on sunscreen is needed. That’s no reason to avoid it
Following a study on active ingredients in sunscreen, the takeaway is: Wear it. Avobenzone, which was found to be absorbed into the bloodstream, is not ‘not safe,’ says dermatology’s Bruce Bod.
Reaching millennial women ‘where they’re at’—on Instagram
Reaching millennial women ‘where they’re at’—on Instagram
Researchers in the Women’s Health Clinical Research Center at Penn Medicine began experimenting with using Instagram for clinical birth control trial recruitment in 2017, and have since seen a surge in research participants.
Artificial cells can deliver molecules better than the real thing
Artificial cells can deliver molecules better than the real thing
With an onion-like structure, the artificial cells developed by researchers at Penn appear more stable and better equipped to carry cargo than their natural and commercial counterparts.
In the News
ABC News
Experts offer new recommendations for screening more women for breast cancer
Susan Domcheck of the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center said that while new recommendations for the screening for BRCA1 and 2 gene mutations are “very valuable,” they don’t address many persistent problems. She stressed the need for additional research regarding BRCA mutations and risk factors, including the effect of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Treating gun violence in Philadelphia trauma bay
Jeremy Cannon, Jose Pascual, and Franklin Caldera of the Perelman School of Medicine and Rhonda Browning, Michael Atweh, and John Ehman of Penn Medicine were quoted in an article about the impact of gunshot wounds on hospital employees.
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PBS NewsHour
Does the placenta carry germs? What parents should know before they eat one
Frederic Bushman of Perelman School of Medicine commented on research that found that placenta encapsulation kits may be pre-contaminated by outside microbes. “It was really a very impressive bunch of detective work,” he said. “They were absolutely artistic at figuring out the sources of different kinds of contamination.”
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Scientific American
Scientists seek better guidelines for editing genes in human embryos
Bruce Levine of the Perelman School of Medicine called for a moratorium on scientific research that entails gene editing in human embryos. “There has not been a conversation with society at large—the lay public, government, religious groups, NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], stakeholders—because the science has been moving faster than [our own] conversations have been,” he said.
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The New York Times
The ethical mess of our healthcare system
President Amy Gutmann and PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno authored an op-ed about the U.S. health care system. “By revising and reinforcing the A.C.A.,” they wrote, “we can benefit all Americans without threatening any with the loss of hard-fought, lifesaving health coverage. Surely our fellow Americans with life-threatening diseases of all sorts are also worth saving.”
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