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Health Sciences
Penn Medicine Researchers Pinpoint Potential New Drug Target for Protection against Certain Neurodegenerative Diseases
Penn Medicine researchers have discovered that hypermethylation - the epigenetic ability to turn down or turn off a bad gene implicated in 10 to 30 percent of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) - serves as a protective barrier inhibiting the development of these diseases. Their work, published this month in Neurology, may suggest a neuroprotective target for drug discovery efforts.
Penn Medicine Study Finds Being Near Greened Vacant Lots Lowers Heart Rates
Greening vacant lots may be associated with biologic reductions in stress, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Residents who walked near newly greened vacant lots had significantly lower heart rates compared to walking near a blighted, or neglected, vacant lot.
Penn Researchers Describe New Approach to Promote Regeneration of Heart Tissue
The heart tissue of mammals has limited capacity to regenerate after an injury such as a heart attack, in part due to the inability to reactivate a cardiac muscle cell and proliferation program. Recent studies have indicated a low level of cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocytes) proliferation in adult mammals, but it is insufficient to repair damaged hearts.
Penn Vet Team Points to New Colon Cancer Culprit
Colon cancer is a heavily studied disease — and for good reason. It is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its numbers are on the rise, from 500,000 deaths in 1990 to 700,000 in 2010.
Penn Dental Medicine’s Lizeng Gao Wins 2015 IADR Innovation in Oral Care Award
Lizeng Gao, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, has won a 2015 International Association for Dental Research Innovation in Oral C
Botswana-UPenn Partnership Teams up with Microsoft and Partners to Launch Telemedicine Service over TV White Spaces Network
The Botswana-UPenn Partnership (BUP) is collaborating with Microsoft, the Botswana Innovation Hub, and other global partners to launch the first telemedicine service in Africa using TV white spaces to bring internet connectivity to hospitals and clinics across rural areas of Botswana.
Penn Medicine Immunotherapy Pioneer Carl June, MD, Awarded 2015 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
University of Pennsylvania cancer and HIV expert Carl June, MD, has been named one of two recipients of the 2015 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for his outstanding work in cancer immunotherapy.
Two Penn Medicine Gene Therapy Researchers Receive Pennsylvania Bio Awards
Two researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvaniawill be honored for their contributions for the burgeoning field of gene therapy by Pennsylvania Bio at their annual dinner this week. Pennsylvania Bio is the statewide bioscience trade organization which works to make the Keystone State a life sciences hub by creating an environment which cultivates progress and success.
Penn Medicine Analysis Shows that One-Third of Americans Do Not Have Access to Stroke Center Within One Hour
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, but access to rapid EMS care and appropriate stroke care centers with the ability to deliver acute stroke therapies can drastically mitigate the debilitating effects of a stroke. A population-based approach to health planning would prevent disparities in access to specialized stroke care, says new Penn Medicine research.
Twitter Chatter Predicts Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment, Penn Study Shows
An increase in Twitter sentiment (the positivity or negativity of tweets) is associated with an increase in state-level enrollment in the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance marketplaces — a phenomenon that points to use of the social media platform as a real-time gauge of public opinion and provides a way for marketplaces to quickly identify enrollment changes and emerging issues.
In the News
Irish News
Seven unusual sleep hacks to help you drift off peacefully—we speak to a sleep expert about how to get a good night’s rest
A study from the Perelman School of Medicine found that participants who practiced paradoxical intention experienced significantly reduced sleep anxiety.
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Yahoo! Life
More yogurt and nuts, less alcohol and snack foods: How GLP-1 medications like Ozempic are influencing people’s food spending habits
Carrie Burns of the Perelman School of Medicine says that weight-loss medications tend to decrease cravings for foods high in sugar and fat.
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WESA Radio (Pittsburgh)
Migratory birds mainly responsible for bird flu outbreak, experts tell Pa. lawmakers
Louise Moncla of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that avian flu viruses are being spread far geographically because of wild migratory birds.
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Huffington Post
Thirteen subtle changes veterinarians would never ignore in their cats
Kaitlyn Krebs of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that cats can indicate illness through behavioral changes such as hiding or spending time in unusual places.
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Times of India
Drinking two beers daily ages the brain by 10 years; study reveals surprising findings
A study by Penn researchers found that one to two units of alcohol per day shrunk overall brain volume and gray matter volumes.
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