10.21
Health Sciences
Treatment doctor tested on himself can put others into remission
Treatment doctor tested on himself can put others into remission
Five years ago, David C. Fajgenbaum both a Penn Medicine researcher and patient, tried an experimental treatment for Castleman disease based on his laboratory research findings in the hopes of saving his own life. He has been in remission ever since.
Could NFL players’ performance after a concussion mask the dangers?
Could NFL players’ performance after a concussion mask the dangers?
A new study shows NFL players return to the field quickly and with no dip in their stats, but this may come at a cost.
Gutmann, Moreno op-ed details ‘ethical mess’ of health care system
Gutmann, Moreno op-ed details ‘ethical mess’ of health care system
“Surely our fellow Americans with life-threatening diseases of all sorts are also worth saving,” they write.
Balance of ‘stop’ and ‘go’ signaling could be key to cancer immunotherapy
Balance of ‘stop’ and ‘go’ signaling could be key to cancer immunotherapy
A Penn study shows potential of the interferon pathway as a biomarker to help predict which patients are likely to respond to immunotherapies.
A wearable new technology moves brain monitoring from the lab to the real world
A wearable new technology moves brain monitoring from the lab to the real world
The portable EEG created by PIK Professor Michael Platt and postdoc Arjun Ramakrishnan has potential applications from health care to sports performance.
Dangers and protections of rising temps for people on common medicines
Dangers and protections of rising temps for people on common medicines
We know that as temperatures rise, so do many health risks: not just for heat stroke and dehydration but also for heart disease, respiratory diseases, and deaths overall. Three studies explore the impact that rising temperatures have on people who take common medications.
Five insights into how the brain works
Five insights into how the brain works
As the Center for Neuroscience & Society celebrates 10 years, founding director Martha Farah reflects on the array of research from its faculty, on subjects from brain games to aggression.
Looking into the immune system to better fight disease
Looking into the immune system to better fight disease
A rare, short-lived population of immune cells in the bloodstream may serve as ‘periscopes’ to monitor immune status via lymph nodes deep inside the body, researchers say.
The brain’s amyloid buildup is not a powerful indicator of Alzheimer’s disease
The brain’s amyloid buildup is not a powerful indicator of Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers find fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, which measures the brain’s glucose consumption as a marker of neural activity, is a better indicator of cognitive performance when compared to PET scans that detect amyloid proteins.
What is a ‘mass shooting’ and how do we talk about gun violence?
What is a ‘mass shooting’ and how do we talk about gun violence?
In a Q&A, criminologist Richard Berk discusses why definitions matter and what role social media and mental illness play in this context.
In the News
Forbes
Eye drops proven to reverse vision loss in clinical trial
Eve Higginbotham of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about some of the shortcomings of eye drops that treat age-related farsightedness. “There’s a question of whether or not people will actually use these drops twice a day in order to see a little better up close,” she said. “I am sure there may be a small segment of the population that may choose to put drops in twice a day, but for the vast majority of individuals, using drops twice a day may be a challenge.”
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Time
‘I burned all the time.’ Selma Blair discusses her MS diagnosis and hope for effective treatments for chronic diseases
Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine was noted for his contributions to the development of CAR T cell therapy. “The approaches we’ve learned in cancer may well apply to dementia,” he said. “I think that will be the next wave of research.”
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Forbes
FDA: Deliveries of scarce childhood cancer drug due to resume later in October, but shortages may continue for months
Peter Adamson of the Perelman School of Medicine authored a letter proposing a “call to action” to make sure childhood-cancer drug shortages don’t reoccur.
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KYW Newsradio (Philadelphia)
Using a patient portal could help you work harder for your health
Health System CEO Kevin Mahoney spoke about the health benefits of online patient portals. “An engaged patient is more likely to follow guidelines of when you're supposed to get your preventative health care screenings,” he said.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn’s genital herpes vaccine is a winner in animals. Next up: Testing on humans
Harvey Friedman of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about his efforts to develop an “urgently needed” genital herpes vaccine. “What we have is close to perfect in animals. No one else has done that,” he said. “The big unknown is whether it will work in humans.”
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