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Health Sciences
Increasing HPV vaccine uptake in adolescents
Increasing HPV vaccine uptake in adolescents
More than 90% of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers could be prevented by widespread uptake of the HPV vaccine. Yet, vaccine use in the United States falls short of public health goals.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine emergency use authorization: Five takeaways
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine emergency use authorization: Five takeaways
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Holly Fernandez Lynch sheds light on the regulatory process that will allow companies to begin distributing their COVID -19 vaccines.
Organoids to rebuild the brain
Organoids to rebuild the brain
Penn neuroscientists are developing innovative ways to treat neurological diseases, including implanting neural tissue like a brain organoid to rebuild brain circuitry.
No change in preterm birth or stillbirth in Philadelphia during pandemic
No change in preterm birth or stillbirth in Philadelphia during pandemic
Challenging earlier reports, a CHOP-Penn Medicine study employed a rigorous analysis of a diverse, urban pregnancy cohort and found no significant changes.
Home health care improves COVID-19 outcomes
Home health care improves COVID-19 outcomes
Survivors of COVID-19 often have health ramifications from their illness and hospital stay, and until now, no data has been available on the outcomes of COVID-19 patients discharged home after hospitalization and their recovery needs.
How health systems can build a culture of anti-racism
How health systems can build a culture of anti-racism
A trio of Black academicians at Penn Medicine discuss how health systems can use their power, might, and resources to foster racial equality in health systems and communities.
Researchers begin forming guidance on properly managing COVID-19 patient airways
Researchers begin forming guidance on properly managing COVID-19 patient airways
As the pandemic continues and knowledge about it evolves, a team of researchers has worked to form a consensus on topics including intubation, high-flow nasal oxygen, and the use of personal protective equipment.
COVID-19 patients survive in-hospital cardiac arrest at pre-pandemic rates
COVID-19 patients survive in-hospital cardiac arrest at pre-pandemic rates
Resuscitation and survival rates are much higher than earlier reports of near-zero, and variation at the individual hospital level may have affected overall numbers.
Charting a path forward with unifying definition of cytokine storm
Charting a path forward with unifying definition of cytokine storm
Penn Medicine researchers have developed a unifying definition of “cytokine storm” to provide a framework to assess and treat patients whose immune systems have gone rogue.
Researchers unlock the door to tumor microenvironment for CAR T cells
Researchers unlock the door to tumor microenvironment for CAR T cells
A new study finds that combining CAR T thereapy with an enzyme-inhibitor drug allows the engineered cells to battle through jumbled blood vessels and attack tumors.
In the News
NPR
Current, deadly U.S. coronavirus surge has peaked, researchers say
David Rubin of the Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said that while there’s been a decline in COVID-19 transmission rates in most parts of the country, it will take many weeks or months for the number of people getting sick and dying to fall. "It's going to take a while. There's going to be a long tail, unfortunately," he said.
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The Washington Post
Some COVID-19 mutations may dampen vaccine effectiveness
E. John Wherry and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about how new variants of the novel coronavirus might respond to the existing COVID-19 vaccines. “We don’t want people thinking that the current vaccine is already outdated. That’s absolutely not true,” said Wherry. However, he warned, the mutations “do in fact reduce how well our immune response is recognizing the virus.”
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The New York Times
Underselling the vaccine
Aaron Richterman of the Perelman School of Medicine said overemphasizing the COVID-19 vaccine’s imperfections and unknowns may do more harm than good. “Not being completely open because you want to achieve some sort of behavioral public health goal—people will see through that eventually,” he said.
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The New York Times
Need a new knee or hip? A robot may help install it
Matthew Sloan of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the increase in hip and knee replacement surgeries in the past 20 years. “Among the older patients, the big driver is the desire to stay active,” he said.
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CBS Philadelphia
Drug being tested at University of Pennsylvania to treat COVID-19 shows promise
Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about cyclosporin, an inexpensive drug that may help prevent severe inflammation in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. “Hopefully, [FDA approval of the drug] would decrease the burden of patients in our hospitals,” June said.
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