3/27
Health Sciences
Penn Study: Diabetes Drug Metformin with Chemo and Radiation May Improve Outcomes in Lung Cancer Patients
Treating aggressive lung cancer with the diabetes drug metformin along with radiation and chemotherapy may slow tumor growth and recurrence, suggests new preliminary findings from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania being presented during an oral abstract session October 28 at the 15th World Conference on Lung
Neurotoxin Effectively Relieves Bone Cancer Pain in Dogs, Penn Researchers Find
By the time bone cancer is diagnosed in a pet dog, it is often too late to save the animal’s life. Instead, the goal of treatment is to keep the dog as comfortable and free of pain as possible for as long as possible.
Institute of Medicine Elects Seven New Members from Penn Medicine
Seven professors from the Perelman School of Medicine have been elected members of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), one of the nation's highest honors in biomedicine.
Skid Row Cancer Study Has Implications for Treatment Today, Penn Researcher Says
An ethically dubious medical research study from the 1950s and 60s, known as the “Bowery series,” foreshadowed and shared commonalities with prostate cancer screening and treatment measures as they are carried out today, argues University of Pennsylvania physician and historian Robert Aronowitz in two ne
Nano/Bio Interface Center at Penn to Host Annual NanoDay
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, the University of Pennsylvania’s Nano/Bio Interface Center will host its annual NanoDay@Penn. This public education and outreach event will feature a series of talks, demonstrations and exhibits dealing with nanotechnology, a rapidly expanding scientific discipline that involves the manipulation of matter on the atomic and molecular scale.
Penn Science Café: Dogs Leading the Fight Against Cancer
The University of Pennsylvania’s Nicola Mason, an assistant professor of medicine and pathobiology in the School of Veterinary Medicine, studies the immune systems of dogs, which happen to share many traits with those of humans.
Penn Researchers Take First Step Toward a Macular Dystrophy Gene Therapy
Vitelliform macular dystrophy, also known as Best disease, is one of a group of vision-robbing conditions called bestrophinopathies that affect children and young adults. Caused by inherited mutations in the BEST1 gene, these diseases cause severe declines in central vision as patients age.
PennSmiles Has Local Children Grinning from Ear to Ear
Kids in West Philadelphia sure do have a reason to smile. For more than a decade, the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine has been providing oral health education, screenings and primary dental care to children at local schools and community agencies.
Investigating Skeletal Muscle Healing, Penn's Rakesh Goli Finds a Love for Research
Rakesh Goli is leaning toward a career in medicine. But the excitement of scientific research also appeals, leaving him unsure of whether he wants to commit to a future spent exclusively in the clinic. Fortunately, the University of Pennsylvania sophomore doesn’t have to make up his mind just yet.
Penn Study: Visits to Multiple HIV Clinics Linked to Poorer Outcomes
Patients who received care at multiple HIV clinics—as opposed to only one— were less likely to take their medication and had higher HIV viral loads, a new study published in the journal AIDS and Behavior of almost 13,000 HIV patients in Philadelphia from Penn Medicine found. The findings reinforce the notion
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →
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.
FULL STORY →