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Health Sciences
Penn Medicine: Personalized Gene Therapy Locks Out HIV, Paving the Way to Control Virus Without Antiretroviral Drugs
University of Pennsylvania researchers have successfully genetically engineered the immune cells of 12 HIV positive patients to resist infection, and decreased the viral loads of some patients taken off antiretroviral drug therapy (ADT) entirely—including one patient whose levels became undetectable.
Anatomical Discovery by Penn Team Gives Insight into Blinding Retinal Diseases
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Penn Study Results Confirm BMI is a Direct Cause of Type 2 Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
Using new genetic evidence, an international team of scientists led by experts at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has found that an increased body mass index (BMI) raised the risk for both type 2 diabetes and higher blood pressure.
Muscle-controlling Neurons Know When They Mess Up, According to Penn Research
Whether it is playing a piano sonata or acing a tennis serve, the brain needs to orchestrate precise, coordinated control over the body’s many muscles. Moreover, there needs to be some kind of feedback from the senses should any of those movements go wrong.
Antonia Villarruel Named Dean of Penn School of Nursing
Antonia Villarruel has been named dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1. The announcement was made today by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price.
Penn Study Shows Way to Make Treatment of Rare Blood Disorder More Affordable and Effective
A University of Pennsylvania research team has defined a possible new way to fight a disease that is currently treatable only with the most expensive drug available for sale in the United States.
Penn Medicine Researchers Ask: Can A Story Help Doctors Curb the Prescription Opioid Abuse Epidemic?
In the fight against a nationwide prescription opioid abuse epidemic, Penn Medicine researchers are using storytelling to help doctors recall important, potentially lifesaving national guidelines on how to prescribe these medications.
Penn Study: Blocking Autophagy with Malaria Drug May Help Overcome Resistance to BRAF Drugs in Melanoma
Half of melanoma patients with the BRAF mutation have a positive response to treatment with BRAF inhibitors, but nearly all of those patients develop resistance to the drugs and experience disease progression.
Penn Researchers Show Nuclear Stiffness Keeps Stem Cells and Cancer Cells in Place
Adult stem cells and cancer cells have many things in common, including an ability to migrate through tiny gaps in tissue. Both types of cells also experience a trade-off when it comes to this ability; having a flexible nucleus makes migration easier but is worse at protecting the nucleus’ DNA compared to a stiffer nucleus.
Penn Medicine: Origin of Human Malaria Parasite Linked to Primates in Africa
An international team of scientists has traced the origin of Plasmodium vivax, the second-worst malaria parasite of humans, to Africa, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications.
In the News
Sugar-coated gold nanoparticles could replace some antibiotics
According to a Penn Medicine study, a new therapy involving laser light and sugar-coated gold nanoparticles can reduce tooth decay and infected wounds without needing antibiotics.
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A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests
A clinical trial led by Stephen Bagley of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that targeting two associated proteins with CAR T cell therapy could be a viable strategy for shrinking brain tumors.
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Alzheimer’s may be caused by a build-up of fat in brain cells
A study by Michael Haney of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that the root cause of Alzheimer’s is a build-up of fat droplets in brain cells.
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Cats aren’t jerks. They’re just misunderstood
James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that the domestic cat suffers from its legacy of being a not-quite-wild animal on the margins of society.
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Philadelphia hospital program adds psychologists to bridge mental health services for trauma survivors
A new psychology team at the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program has provided about 46 survivors with short- and long- term therapy, featuring remarks from Elinore Kaufman and Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine.
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