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Health Sciences
Penn Medicine First to Investigate Shared Decision Making in Radiation Oncology
Playing an active role in their radiation treatment decisions leaves cancer patients feeling more satisfied with their care, and may even relieve psychological distress around the experience, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in the
Growing Plants to Save Lives
Tucked behind old factory buildings on Penn’s South Bank campus stands a gleaming greenhouse. The $2 million structure, completed late last year, is state-of-the-art.
Penn Researchers Determine Mechanism by Which Lung Function is Regulated in Rare Disease Known As Birt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome
Researchers at Penn Medicine have discovered that the tumor suppressor gene folliculin (FLCN) is essential to normal lung function in patients with the rare disease Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the lungs, skin and kidneys.
Penn Medicine: New Cell Models for Tracking Body Clock Gene Function will Help Find Novel Meds
The consequences of modern life -- shift work, cell phone addiction, and travel across time zones -- all disturb internal clocks. These are found in the brain where they regulate sleep and throughout the body where they regulate physiology and metabolism. Disrupting the clocks is called circadian misalignment, which has been linked to metabolic problems, even in healthy volunteers.
Penn Medicine Receives $1.45 Million to Speed Research for Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases
Two Penn Medicine research teams have received a total of $1,450,000 in funding commitments from CurePSP, the Foundation for PSP | CBD and Related Brain Diseases, to study rare neurodegenerative disorders that cause motor, balance and cognitive impairment.
Penn Medical Ethicist: Policy Changes Urgently Needed as Millions of Americans to Start Receiving Early Label of Alzheimer's Disease
How will we, as individuals, and a society, live with brains at risk for Alzheimer's disease dementia?
Penn Researcher Finds Mortality Risks of Being Overweight or Obese Are Underestimated
New research by Andrew Stokes, a doctoral student in demography and sociology in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that many obesity studies substantially underestimate the mortality risks associated with excess weight in the United States. His study, “Using Maximum Weight to Redefine Body Mass Index Categories in Studies of The Mortality Risks of Obesity,” was published in the March issue of the open-access journal Population Health Metrics.
Penn Study Shows Good Availability of Primary Care for New Patients on the Eve of the ACA Coverage Expansions
A multi-institutional team led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that despite widespread rumors of limited access to primary care services, providers across the country were capable of accepting new patients pr
Strain-specific Lyme Disease Immunity Lasts for Years, Penn Research Finds
Lyme disease, if not treated promptly with antibiotics, can become a lingering problem for those infected.
Penn Study in Fruit Flies Shows that Epilepsy Drug Target May Have Implications for Brain Disorder Sleep Disruption
A new study in a mutant fruitfly called sleepless (sss) confirmed that the enzyme GABA transaminase, which is the target of some epilepsy drugs, contributes to sleep loss.
In the News
The New York Times
‘This is a dangerous virus’
According to Louise Moncla of the School of Veterinary Medicine, reinfections suggest that the H5N1 bird flu virus could circulate on farms indefinitely, creating opportunities for it to evolve into a more dangerous form.
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Interesting Engineering
Scientists create tiny anticancer weapons that make tumors destroy themselves
Xiaowei (George) Xu of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues have unveiled an innovative approach to cancer treatment that leverages tiny capsules known as small extracellular vesicles to target a specific receptor on tumor cells.
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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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