12.1
Health Sciences
CAR T cell therapy may be harnessed to treat heart disease
CAR T cell therapy may be harnessed to treat heart disease
Penn Med researchers used genetically modified T cells to improve heart function in an animal model after cardiac injury, a step forward in expanding the use of the technology to treating, or even reversing, heart failure.
Minority students still underrepresented in medical schools
Minority students still underrepresented in medical schools
While numbers of black and Hispanic physicians have increased, a Penn study shows the physician workforce does not represent the shifting demographics of the U.S. population.
Is treatment forever? Success of gene therapy for inherited blindness depends on timing
Is treatment forever? Success of gene therapy for inherited blindness depends on timing
An FDA-approved gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis, an inherited vision disorder with a childhood onset and progressive nature, has improved patients’ sight. But new research underscores the importance of further investigation to halt the progression of the disorder.
Competition works better than support or collaboration to increase daily step counts
Competition works better than support or collaboration to increase daily step counts
A clinical trial using a behaviorally designed gamification program found that adding competition to motivate exercise is a catalyst for real results.
The diet-microbiome connection in inflammatory bowel disease
The diet-microbiome connection in inflammatory bowel disease
Dogs with a Crohn’s-like disease fed a special diet were found to have characteristic changes in their gut microbiomes, paralleling changes seen in children with Crohn’s.
Inferno in the rainforest
Inferno in the rainforest
Satellite images have detected more than 100,000 points of fire in the Amazon this year. Scientists Reto Gieré and Alain Plante illuminate some less obvious impacts of the fires, including health threats and climate impacts.
Researcher Virginia M.Y. Lee receives $3 million Breakthrough Prize
Researcher Virginia M.Y. Lee receives $3 million Breakthrough Prize
The Breakthrough Prize award recognizes Lee’s work studying underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other dementias.
The U.S. and Canada are seven times more likely to prescribe opioids than Sweden
The U.S. and Canada are seven times more likely to prescribe opioids than Sweden
Within 30 days of discharge, nearly half of all surgical patients in the United States received opioids in excess of 200 morphine milligram equivalents, compared to just 11 percent of the patients in Sweden.
A molecular ‘atlas’ of animal development
A molecular ‘atlas’ of animal development
Scientists have studied the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans for decades, making essential contributions to basic science. In the latest milestone, a team uses cutting-edge technology to individually profile the genes expressed in more than 80,000 cells in a developing C. elegans embryo.
No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy
No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy
In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that testosterone administration did not affect cognitive empathy, a measure of the ability to recognize another’s feelings and motivations. The finding calls into question the theory that the symptoms of autism are caused by a hyper-masculinized brain.
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Dental school grads find it hard to beat back student debt
Dean Mark Wolff of the School of Dental Medicine said dental school tuition has increased because dentistry, in general, has gotten more expensive. “You used to get the X-rays in your mouth taken with film, put inside your mouth. Today, we put sensors inside the mouth, capture it directly into the computer,” he said. “Film used to cost a few dollars a pack. That sensor is a $7,000 sensor.”
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U.S. News & World Report
Antarctic study shows isolation, monotony may change the human brain
Alexander Stahn of the Perelman School of Medicine led a study that found a volume decrease in the hippocampi of explorers who spent 14 months at a research station in Antarctica. “It was an average of about 7%, which is really big in terms of brain changes,” he said.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Why mandated nurse-to-patient ratios have become one of the most controversial ideas in health care
Linda Aiken of the School of Nursing said that mandated nurse-to-patient ratios result in fewer complications, infections, and injuries, as well as lower mortality rates.
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The Washington Post
Do NAD-boosting supplements fight aging? Not according to current research
Joseph Baur of the Perelman School of Medicine said that while supplements claiming to increase NAD levels and improve longevity are unlikely to do harm, they’re ineffective when it comes to actually extending human life. “There have been several short-term clinical trials that have been mostly disappointing,” he said.
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Men’s Health
Wait, is it safe to take cold medicine when you’re breastfeeding?
Anna Graseck of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “Over-the-counter cold medicines are generally safe for breast feeding moms,” but warned that anything containing the decongestants pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine can impact the milk supply.
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