2.19
Health Sciences
Workplace pumping made easier
Listening to employee feedback, Penn Medicine added hospital-grade pumps and doubled its lactation spaces, taking strides to help women meet their breastfeeding goals.
World AIDS Day: What’s happening with the epidemic today
Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief of the Infectious Diseases Division Ian Frank explains progress made and challenges still faced in the world of HIV/AIDS research, prevention, and treatment.
Treating spinal pain with ‘engineered living tissue’ moves closer to reality
A multidisciplinary team at Penn successfully demonstrated the feasibility of an innovative new disc replacement made of living material.
FDA approves new targeted drug for leukemia
The drug is the first to target common mutations associated with relapse and short survival in acute myeloid leukemia.
Two from Penn named to new class of AAAS Fellows
Noted for their contributions to dental and biological sciences, respectively, Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and Joshua Plotkin of the School of Arts and Sciences are part of the newest cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
PCI event recognizes faculty trailblazers
A Penn Center for Innovation event on Wednesday will celebrate this year’s 100-plus patent awardees and honor individuals with the most impressive startups, inventions, devices, and deals.
A link between anti-malaria drugs and cancer treatments, explained
The Abramson Cancer Center study is the first to identify what drugs known as chloroquines are targeting when used for cancer treatment.
Modeling the most common form of vision loss in older adults
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in people older than 50. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia and colleagues have developed a model system that mimics many features of the human condition, giving scientists a platform to gain a deeper understanding of risk factors and possible treatments.
To resolve inflammation, location matters
A single protein can both restrain the initiation of inflammation and help to actively resolve it, according to new research led by George Hajishengallis of the School of Dental Medicine. He and his colleague found that the type of cell that secretes the protein determines which activity the protein promotes.
All hands on deck: Fentanyl in Philadelphia
In 2017, fentanyl surpassed heroin as the leading drug involved in overdose deaths, increasing from 57 percent of opioid-related deaths in 2016 to 84 percent in 2017.
In the News
Science
Poor sleep could clog your arteries. A mouse study shows how that might happen
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Namni Goel weighed in on a new study that found that poor sleep can clog arteries.
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Men’s Health
Why gene editing may hold the promise of a herpes cure
Sita Awasthi of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the challenges researchers face in pursuing a cure for herpes. In spite of advances in CRISPR technology, Awasthi emphasizes the continued need for a preventive vaccine.
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Men’s Health
So, Meghan Markle is using a ‘doula’—What’s the deal with that?
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Sindhu Srinivas commented on the increasing number of doulas employed by hospitals. Obstetricians “can’t be in the room the whole time, but doulas can, which can help women feel more supported,” said Srinivas.
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Reuters Health
Hospitals serving more minorities may offer less palliative care
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Kate Courtright commented on new findings that hospitals that primarily serve minorities provide their patients with less palliative care than other hospitals.
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The Wall Street Journal
How community health workers could create less-costly, higher-quality care
A study by Shreya Kangovi of the Perelman School of Medicine offered evidence that a comprehensive community health worker program, similar to those implemented in countries with shortages of doctors and nurses, could be effective in the U.S.
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