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Health Sciences
Viral Gene Editing System Corrects Genetic Liver Disease in Newborn Mice
For the first time, researchers have treated an animal model of a genetic disorder using a viral vector to deliver genome-editing components in which the disease- causing mutation has been corrected. Delivery of the vector to newborn mice improved their survival while treatment of adult animals, unexpectedly, made them worse, according to a new study by investigators from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania The team published their findings this week in Nature Biotechnology.
President’s Innovation Prize Contenders Vie for $100K Seed Money and Big Perks at Penn
In April, one enterprising senior or team of graduates-to-be at the University of Pennsylvania will be named the inaugural President’s Innovation Prize winners. The award comes with $100,000 in seed money and a $50,000 living stipend per team member. And that is just the start.
Penn Vet’s Gustavo Aguirre to Receive Louis Braille Award for Blindness Research
The Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired will recognize the University of Pennsylvania’s Gustavo D.
Powerful Machine-Learning Technique Uncovers Unknown Features of Important Bacterial Pathogen, According to Penn Study
A powerful new machine-learning technique can be applied to large datasets in the biological sciences to uncover previously unknown features of organisms and their genes, according to a team led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. For ex
Cost of End-of-Life Care in the U.S. is Comparable to Europe and Canada, Finds New Penn Study
Despite widespread perception, the United States does not provide the worst end-of-life care in the world.
Penn-Engineered Neural Networks Show Hope for Axonal Repair in the Brain, with Minimal Disruption to Brain Tissue
Lab-grown neural networks have the ability to replace lost axonal tracks in the brains of patients with severe head injuries, strokes or neurodegenerative diseases and can be safely delivered with minimal disruption to brain tissue, according to new research from Penn Medicine’s department of Neurosurgical Research.
Finding the Needle in a Microbial Haystack: Penn Researchers Test New Pathogen Detection Technology
Patients who are undergoing treatment for diseases such as cancer often face the added challenge of a compromised immune system, which can be a toll both of their condition and the drugs used to treat it, leaving them vulnerable to various opportunistic infections.
Penn Study Suggests New Recommendations to Reduce Radiation Risk from Digital Screening Mammography
Radiation-induced breast cancer risk from digital mammography is low for the majority of women, but risk is higher in women with large breasts, who received 2.3 times more radiation and required more views per examination to image as much of the breast as possible compared to those with small or average-sized breasts.
Penn Nursing’s Community Champions Engage to Improve Health
From outside the Sayre Recreation Center at 58th and Walnut streets, the only indication of something happening on a chilly December Tuesday is a dozen or so parked cars. Otherwise, the massive fenced-in lot is quiet.
Health Warning Labels May Deter Parents from Purchasing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages for Kids, Penn Study Shows
Health warning labels similar to those found on tobacco products may have a powerful effect on whether parents purchase sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) for their children, according to a new study led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
In the News
6ABC.com
Bird flu suspected in deaths of 200 snow geese in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley
Stephen Cole of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that indoor cats are contracting bird flu through raw pet foods of poultry origin or raw milk products.
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Self
The surgeon general calls for new warning labels on alcohol—here’s the truth about how it impacts your health
Henry Kranzler of the Perelman School of Medicine says that alcohol’s effects on the brain are observed more readily because it’s the organ of behavior.
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NPR
Tuberculosis rates plunge when families living in poverty get a monthly cash payout
Aaron Richterman of the Perelman School of Medicine says that there are large and underappreciated benefits of cash-transfer programs, such as potentially ending a tuberculosis epidemic.
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Newsweek
Cancer breakthrough as ‘speckles’ may reveal best treatment
A paper co-authored by PIK Professor Shelley Berger finds that patterns of “speckles” in the heart of tumor cells could help predict how patients with a common form of kidney cancer will respond to treatment options.
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Time
Scientists are racing to develop a new bird flu vaccine
Drew Weissman and Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine are testing a vaccine to prevent a strain of H5N1 bird flu in chickens and cattle.
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