Health Sciences

How sex differences may influence lung injury

Comparing lung cells from male and female mice, School of Veterinary Medicine scientists found gene expression differences that may explain why older males are at a higher risk than females for worse outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Fostering a therapy dog means welcoming strangers and petting

Foster families and therapy dogs in training learn their roles together. Studies show pet therapy in hospitals significantly decreases pain, calms breathing, and boosts mood and perceived energy levels in patients.

From Penn Medicine News

The ‘paradox’ of receiving health care in prison

In an excerpt from their new book, Penn sociologist Jason Schnittker and colleagues dissect the contradictory nature of these institutions, which are charged with both “denying freedom and providing care.”

Michele W. Berger , Michele W. Berger

‘Learning about BRCA saved my life’

A family cancer diagnosis led Trudy Orthey to test for the BRCA2 gene mutation. A prophylactic double mastectomy and oophorectomy at Penn Medicine revealed she had early-stage ovarian cancer.

From Penn Medicine News



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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The Washington Post

Dogs may be able to communicate by pressing buttons, research suggests

Postdoc Amritha Mallikarjun of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that dogs use buttons as a trained behavior to try and get the things they want.

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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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