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Health Sciences
Abramson Cancer Center receives $10.7 million to study CAR T cells in solid tumors
A new program project grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will fund research by the Translational Center of Excellence for Lung Cancer Immunology for experimental approaches in lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Skin cream use OK’d during radiation therapy
A new study challenges common advice given to patients about whether topical creams increase radiation dose during cancer treatment.
Drivers of inflammation provide valuable targets for new gum disease therapies
A subset of T cells contributes to the inflammation and bone loss that characterizes periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease. According to new research by George Hajishengallis and scientists at the National Institutes of Health, drugs that specifically inhibit these cells may offer an effective therapy.
Multidisciplinary team to develop stem cell-based approaches to restore vision
Gene therapies have had success in treating blindness but can’t save areas of the retina where cells have already died. In a new effort, School of Veterinary Medicine scientists John Wolfe and William Beltran will attempt to develop a stem-cell-based approach that restores vision.
Elected to the NAM, four faculty members earn the highest honor in biomedicine
Susan M. Domchek, Daniel E. Polsky, Marie Celeste Simon, and Rachel M. Werner are four of the 85 newly-elected members of the National Academy of Medicine.
New scholars named to promote research into the influence of gender on health
Melanie Kornides of the School of Nursing, Jennifer Lewey of the Perelman School of Medicine, and C. Alix Timko of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are pursuing research that examines the role of sex and gender on health, supported by the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health program.
Linguistic red flags from Facebook posts can predict future depression diagnoses
The language people use in these social media posts can make these predictions as accurately as the tools clinicians use in medical settings to screen for the disease.
Blood test identifies more treatable cancer mutations than biopsies alone
A new study shows patients with treatable mutations identified by liquid biopsies rather than tissue biopsies also largely respond to therapy.
‘Cancer in all forms is our enemy’
Robert H. Vonderheide, the Abramson Cancer Center director, talks innovation, discoveries, FDA approvals, and how to deliver top-of-the-line cancer care.
Immune cells involved in triple-negative breast cancer could offer future therapeutic target
New research led by Rumela Chakrabarti reveals how immune cells called myeloid-derived immunosuppressor cells contribute to the progression of triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive cancer. Pairing chemotherapy with a drug that blocks these cells may one day help stem its growth.
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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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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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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