Health Sciences

Penn Scientists Pioneer New Method for Watching Proteins Fold

PHILADELPHIA — A protein’s function depends on both the chains of molecules it is made of and the way those chains are folded. And while figuring out the former is relatively easy, the latter represents a huge challenge with serious implications because many diseases are the result of misfolded proteins.

Evan Lerner

Penn Medical Researchers Dispute the Efficacy of a Breast Cancer Treatment

PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine are suggesting that a prophylactic treatment option increasingly offered to breast cancer patients has only a slight benefit, and the modest gains to life expectancy the treatment provides may actually be offset by decreases in quality of life for many patients.

Katie Delach

Penn Geneticists Help Show Bitter Taste Perception Is Not Just About Flavors

PHILADELPHIA — Long the bane of picky eaters everywhere, broccoli’s taste is not just a matter of having a cultured palate; some people can easily taste a bitter compound in the vegetable that others have difficulty detecting. Now a team of Penn researchers has helped uncover the evolutionary history of one of the genes responsible for this trait.

Evan Lerner



In the News


Fortune

California declares a state of emergency as a new severe bird flu case was discovered. What it means for the rest of the country

Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine says the latest H5N1 bird flu strain might have a greater potential to adapt and cause severe disease in humans.

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The New York Times

Is protein powder a scam?

Colleen Tewksbury of the School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine says that the vast majority of people in the U.S. already get enough protein from the foods they eat and don’t need to take it in supplement form.

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NPR

For kids with rare genetic disorders, customized CRISPR treatments offer hope

Scientists at Penn are trying to develop a template for groups of rare conditions that are similar enough to be affected by a single, easily adaptable gene-editing treatment.

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Today

I’m an orthopedist. Seven things I never do to keep my muscle and bones healthy

Samir Mehta of the Perelman School of Medicine says that older adults playing sports need to understand who their competition is and make sure they’re playing with people who are at the appropriate level.

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Runner’s World

These 10 expert-backed tips will help boost your running recovery

John Vasudevan of the Perelman School of Medicine offers tips to boost recovery from a running workout, such as making sure the breathing rate is increased enough to be properly warmed up.

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