Penn Medicine News

Having a Nighttime Critical Care Physician in the ICU Doesn't Improve Patient Outcomes

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:00:00 GMT

With little evidence to guide them, many hospital intensive care units (ICUs) have been employing critical care physicians at night with the notion it would improve patients' outcomes. However, new results from a one-year randomized trial from researchers at Penn Medicine involving nearly 1,600 patients admitted to the Hospital of the University Pennsylvania (HUP) Medical ICU suggest otherwise:...

Penn Medicine Research Study Suggests New Role for ECMO in Treating Patients with Cardiac Arrest and Profound Shock

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:15:00 GMT

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a procedure traditionally used during cardiac surgeries and in the ICU that functions as an artificial replacement for a patient's heart and lungs, has also been used to resuscitate cardiac arrest victims in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Now, a novel study of this technique in the U.S. has been completed by researchers at the Perelman School of...

Penn Medicine Study Finds Broad Support for Rationing of Some Types of Cancer Care

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

The majority of cancer doctors, patients, and members of the general public support cutting health care costs by refusing to pay for drugs that don't improve survival or quality of life, according to results of a new study that will be presented by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical...

PARP Inhibitor Shows Activity in Pancreatic, Prostate Cancers Among Patients Carrying BRCA Mutations

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

In the largest clinical trial to date to examine the efficacy of PARP inhibitor therapy in BRCA 1/2 carriers with diseases other than breast and ovarian cancer, the oral drug olaparib was found to be effective against advanced pancreatic and prostate cancers. Results of the study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Sheba Medical Center in...

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Names First Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Eve J. Higginbotham, MD

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:30:00 GMT

Eve J. Higginbotham, SM, MD, has been named the first Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, effective August 1, 2013.

New Penn Medicine Research Identifies Infection and Sepsis-Related Mortality Hotspots Across the U.S.

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have created the first U.S. map that pinpoints hotspots for infection and severe sepsis related-deaths.

Pennsylvania Hospital Skilled Care Center Receives State's Second Annual Award for Excellence

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Michael Wolf will be in Philadelphia tomorrow to present the second annual “Awards for Excellence in Health Care Compliance” to the Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH) Skilled Care Center (SCC).

Newly Described Type of Immune Cell and T cells Share Similar Path to Maturity, According to New Penn Study

Mon, 13 May 2013 21:00:00 GMT

In animal studies, group-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) confer immunity during a parasitic infection in mice and are also involved in allergic airway inflammation. A team of Perelman School of Medicine, researchers from the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Cancer Biology, found that maturation of ILC2s requires T-cell factor 1 (TCF-1, the product of...

Penn Medicine Researchers Identify Four New Genetic Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

A new study looking at the genomes of more than 13,000 men identified four new genetic variants associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer, the most commonly diagnosed type in young men today. The findings from this first-of-its-kind meta-analysis were reported online May 12 in Nature Genetics by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Defects in Developmental Pathway Associated with Congenital Condition of Heart-Lung Connection

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Now, researchers have found that a mutation in a key molecule active during embryonic development makes the plumbing between the immature heart and lungs short-circuit, disrupting the delivery of oxygenated blood to the brain and other organs. The mutation ultimately causes blood to flow in circles from the lungs to the heart's right side and back to the lungs.

Not All Cytokine-producing Cells Start Out the Same Way, According to Penn Study

Fri, 10 May 2013 19:45:00 GMT

Not all IL17-producing cells are the same, and the rules regarding how particular cell types are instructed to produce this important mediator differ. Research published this week in Nature Immunology from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania sheds light on the intricacies of those instructions.

Perelman School of Medicine Graduation: Doctors to Be Reached Near and Far to Make a Difference

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:30:00 GMT

The Perelman School of Medicine's impact in global and community health will be well represented this Sunday at graduation, when 160 students take the Hippocratic Oath for the first time as new doctors.

John A. Dani Named Chair of Neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:15:00 GMT

John A. Dani, PhD, will become the new chair of the Department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, on July 1, 2013. He will also serve as Director of the Mahoney Institute of Neurosciences (MINS) at Penn.

Penn Study Shows National Movement Against Non-Medically Indicated Deliveries Prior to 39 Weeks

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

A national movement to eliminate non-medically indicated (NMI) delivery before 39 weeks has prompted nearly two-thirds of all U.S. hospitals handling non-emergency births to adopt specific policies against the practice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results of the nationwide survey represent a strong step in promoting...

Penn Medicine Immunologist Given Early-Career Research Award from Peers

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

David Artis, PhD, assistant professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, will receive the AAI-BD Biosciences Investigator Award for outstanding, early-career research contributions to the field of immunology from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI).

Perelman School of Medicine Researchers Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Tue, 30 April 2013 19:00:00 GMT

Perelman School of Medicine researchers Shelley L. Berger, PhD, Daniel S. Och University Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology; director of the Penn Epigenetics Program, and Virginia Man-Yee Lee, PhD, director, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research; John H. Ware 3rd Professor in Alzheimer's Research; and professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, have been elected as new...

First Large-Scale Study to Compare Treatments for HIV-Infected Children Finds Less-Used Regimen is More Effective for Children in Low-Resource Settings

Tue, 30 April 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, along with colleagues at the Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence, conducted the first large-scale comparison of first-line treatments for HIV-positive children, finding that initial treatment with efavirenz was more effective than nevirapine in...

Penn Medicine's Brian Strom, MD, MPH, Receives Prestigious Translational Science Award for Contributions to Public Health and Policy

Mon, 29 April 2013 20:45:00 GMT

Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, the executive vice dean for Institutional Affairs in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, was recently presented with a National Award for Career Achievement and Contribution to Clinical and Translational Science at the Translational Science 2013 meeting in Washington, D.C.

Distinguished Penn Alumna and HHS Official Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH, to Speak at the Perelman School of Medicine Commencement

Fri, 26 April 2013 15:00:00 GMT

University of Pennsylvania alumna Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH (B.A. '75, M.D.'79), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will deliver the address at the Perelman School of Medicine's commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 12, 2013 in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

Intractable Seizures Halted with Experimental Treatment for Rare Pediatric "Pretzel Syndrome"

Thur, 25 April 2013 20:15:00 GMT

With a better understanding of underlying mechanisms that cause a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in the Old Order Mennonite population, referred to as Pretzel syndrome, a new study reports that five children were successfully treated with a drug that modifies the disease process, minimizing seizures and improving receptive language.

Penn Graduate Student and Postdoc Fellow Awarded Autism Science Foundation Grants

Wed, 24 April 2013 17:00:00 GMT

A post-doctoral fellow and doctoral student in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have each been awarded an Autism Science Foundation (ASF) grant.

Anti-Smoking Ads with Strong Arguments, Not Flashy Editing, Trigger Part of Brain That Changes Behavior, says Penn Study

Tue, 23 April 2013 22:00:00 GMT

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that an area of the brain that initiates behavioral changes had greater activation in smokers who watched anti-smoking ads with strong arguments versus those with weaker ones, and irrespective of flashy elements, like bright and rapidly changing scenes, loud sounds and unexpected scenario twists.

Binge Eating Curbed by Deep Brain Stimulation in Animal Model, Penn Study Shows

Tue, 23 April 2013 22:00:00 GMT

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in a precise region of the brain appears to reduce caloric intake and prompt weight loss in obese animal models, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Researchers Discover Link Between Inherited Endocrine Tumor Syndrome and Well Studied Cell Pathway

Tue, 23 April 2013 19:45:00 GMT

Researchers did not exactly understand how menin mutations lead to MEN1 syndrome, and more importantly, what molecular pathways might be dysregulated by menin mutations and thus can be targeted to improve therapy against this type of cancer. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that pathway, which may lead to a new treatment for patients...

Penn Researcher Receives Prestigious National Clinical Research Award for Breakthrough in Gene Therapy

Fri, 19 April 2013 18:00:00 GMT

A gene therapy study focused on finding a cure for a rare congenital blinding disease has been recognized as one of the ten most outstanding clinical research projects of the year by the Clinical Research Forum (CRF).

Free Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Screenings

Fri, 19 April 2013 14:30:00 GMT

The Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital will conduct free screenings for national oral, head and neck cancer during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, April 14-20.

Cancer Pioneer from Penn Medicine to Share Albany Medical Center Prize

Thur, 18 April 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Three physician scientists whose landmark research helped transform the treatment of cancer are the recipients of the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, to be officially awarded May 17. Peter C. Nowell, M.D., the Gaylord P. and Mary Louise Harnwell Professor Emeritus, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of...

Penn Researchers Awarded $2.4 Million in Grants from Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and American Association for Cancer Research

Tue, 16 April 2013 21:00:00 GMT

Four Penn Medicine researchers have been awarded a total of $2.4 million in grants from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Lack of Consensus Among Health Care Providers in Identifying Sepsis Poses Potential Threat to Treatment

Tue, 16 April 2013 20:30:00 GMT

Though the toll of sepsis is known to be enormous – it is estimated to cost the U.S. health care system $24.3 billion each year, and is the nation's third-leading killer, behind heart disease and cancer – the true magnitude of incidence of and death from the illness remains unknown. There is substantial variability in these numbers, depending on the method used to identify the condition in...

Penn Study Shows One Quarter of Patients Discharged from Hospitals Return for Emergency Care Within 30 Days

Tue, 16 April 2013 16:00:00 GMT

A study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University School of Medicine has found that nearly one quarter of patients may return to the emergency department within 30 days of being discharged from a hospitalization.

Penn Medicine Researcher Awarded Prestigious Grand Prix Scientifique by the Institut de France

Mon, 15 April 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Garret FitzGerald MD, FRS, chairman of the Pharmacology Department and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the 2013 Grand Prix Scientifique by the Institut de France.

Testing for BRAF Genetic Mutation Beneficial Only in Aggressive Thyroid Cancers, Penn Editorial Suggests

Tue, 10 April 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Late stage thyroid cancer patients with aggressive disease may benefit from a genetic test, but experts caution that use of this test in early stage patients is inappropriate because it is unlikely to lead to better outcomes. Testing for BRAF V600E-positive tumors should be reserved for patients older than 45 who have more advanced disease, according to an accompanying editorial in JAMA...

Alzheimer Gene ABCA7 Significantly Increases Late-Onset Risk Among African Americans

Mon, 09 April 2013 18:00:00 GMT

A variation in the gene ABCA7 causes a twofold increase in the risk of late onset Alzheimer disease among African Americans, according to a meta-analysis by a team of researchers including experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This is the largest analysis to date to determine genetic risk associated with late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) specifically in...

Cancers Don't Sleep: The Myc Oncogene Can Disrupt Circadian Rhythm

Mon, 09 April 2013 18:00:00 GMT

The Myc oncogene can disrupt the 24-hour internal rhythm in cancer cells. Postdoctoral fellow Brian Altman, PhD, and graduate student Annie Hsieh, MD, both from the in the lab of Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD, director of the Abramson Cancer Center, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, present their data in the “Metabolic Pathway Regulation...

Nearly Half of Breast Cancer Patients at High Risk of Carrying BRCA Mutations Do Not Receive Genetic Testing Recommendations from Physicians

Mon, 08 April 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Only 53 percent of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who were at high risk of carrying a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutation – based on age, diagnosis, and family history of breast or ovarian cancer – reported that their doctors urged them to be tested for the genes, according to a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Medicine Research Team Pinpoints Possible Predictive Biomarker for Identifying Patients Who May Respond to Autophagy Inhibitors

Mon, 08 April 2013 18:00:00 GMT

A team led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania will present findings (Presentation #1679A) during the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2013 showing that colon cancer and lung cancer cell lines which expressed a gene known as helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF) tended to be impervious to the effects of the autophagy...

Despite Reimbursement Limitations, Penn Study Finds Virtual Colonoscopy Is Used Appropriately, May Expand Screening to More Patients

Mon, 08 April 2013 17:15:00 GMT

In 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) halted reimbursement for so-called “virtual colonoscopy” for routine colon-cancer screening in asymptomatic patients, in part due to concerns over how this procedure, computed tomography colonography (CTC), was being used in the elderly population. In the first study to examine appropriate utilization of the test among asymptomatic...

Penn Study Finds Increased Sleep Could Reduce Rate of Adolescent Obesity

Mon, 08 April 2013 16:15:00 GMT

Increasing the number of hours of sleep adolescents get each night may reduce the prevalence of adolescent obesity, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Results of the study show that fewer hours of sleep is associated with greater increases in adolescent body mass index (BMI) for participants between 14 and 18-years-old....

Engineered T Cells Kill Tumors but Spare Normal Tissue in an Animal Model

Sun, 07 April 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed an innovative dual CAR approach in which the activation signal for T cells is physically dissociated from a second costimulatory signal for immune cells. The two CARs carry different antigen specificity -- mesothelin and a-folate receptor. Mesothelin is primarily associated with mesothelioma and ovarian cancer, and a-folate receptor...

Penn Medicine Two-step Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy Made from Patients' Own Tumor Benefits Three Quarters of Trial Patients

Sat, 06 April 2013 17:00:00 GMT

As many as three quarters of advanced ovarian cancer patients appeared to respond to a new two-step immunotherapy approach -- including one patient who achieved complete remission -- according research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented today in a press conference at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013.

Invitation to Cover: The Future of Personalized and Targeted Cancer Therapy

Fri, 05 April 2013 13:00:00 GMT

A panel discussion at the American Association for Cancer Research's Annual Meeting – featuring the University of Pennsylvania physician-scientist leading the research team whose work has spurred worldwide attention to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technologies, and a trial participant whose leukemia remains in remission more than two and a half years after being treated with his own engineered...

Penn Medicine's New Center for Personalized Diagnostics Unlocks Cancer's Secrets

Fri, 05 April 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Penn Medicine’s new Center for Personalized Diagnostics, a joint initiative of the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center, is diving deeper into each patient’s tumor with next generation DNA sequencing.

Rewarding Groups for Losing Weight More Effective than Rewarding Individuals, Penn Medicine Study Finds

Mon, 01 April 2013 22:00:00 GMT

A multi-institution study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon University, has found that tying financial incentives to group weight loss led to significantly greater weight loss than cash awards based on an individual's success in losing weight on his or her own.

Hearing What's Important: Penn Researchers Pinpoint Brain Mechanisms That Make the Auditory System Sensitive to Behaviorally Relevant Sounds

Mon, 01 April 2013 19:45:00 GMT

How do we hear? More specifically, how does the auditory center of the brain discern important sounds – such as communication from members of the same species – from relatively irrelevant background noise? The answer depends on the regulation of sound by specific neurons in the auditory cortex of the brain, but the precise mechanisms of those neurons have remained unclear. Now, a new study from...

Personalized Brain Mapping Technique Preserves Function Following Brain Tumor Surgery, Penn Review Reports

Mon, 01 April 2013 16:15:00 GMT

Neurosurgeons can visualize important pathways in the brain using an imaging technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to better adapt brain tumor surgeries and preserve language, visual and motor function while removing cancerous tissue. In the latest issue of Neurosurgical Focus, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania review research showing...

Penn Chief Nurse Executive Receives Prestigious AONE Prism Diversity Award

Thur, 28 March 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Victoria Rich, PhD, RN, FAAN, chief nurse executive at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, has received the Prism Diversity Award from the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE). The award recognizes Dr. Rich’s efforts to promote diversity within the nursing workforce and to enhance an understanding of diversity issues across the health system and greater community.

James L. Carey, MD, MPH, Receives the Charles S. Neer Award

Thur, 28 March 2013 14:30:00 GMT

James L. Carey, MD, MPH, director of the Penn Center for Advanced Cartilage Repair and Osteochondritis Dissecans Treatment, is among this year's recipients of one of the nation's most prestigious orthopaedic research awards. Dr. Carey and colleagues were presented the 2013 Charles S. Neer Clinical Science Award for a study they conducted on predictors of success in non-operative treatment of...

Cell Reprogramming During Liver Regeneration

Thur, 28 March 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Researchers have been able to reprogram cells experimentally, but few have shown that cells can change their identities under normal physiological conditions in the body, particularly in mammals. In the cover article of this month’s issue of Genes and Development, Stanger, PhD candidate Kilangsungla Yanger, Yiwei Zong, PhD, and their colleagues, did just that in the liver of a mouse.

Penn Endocrinologists Elected Vice President and Council Member of Endocrine Society

Thur, 28 March 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Susan Mandel, MD, MPH, professor of Medicine and Radiology, and Associate Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, has been elected vice president, Physician-in-Practice, of The Endocrine Society. In addition, Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Sylvan Eisman Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology,...

Parkinson's Disease Protein Gums up Garbage Disposal System in Cells

Wed, 27 March 2013 21:00:00 GMT

Clumps of α-synuclein protein in nerve cells are hallmarks of many degenerative brain diseases, most notably Parkinson’s disease. “No one has been able to determine if Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, hallmark pathologies in Parkinson’s disease can be degraded,” says Virginia Lee, PhD, director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of...

Acute Stroke Therapy Used Three Times More at Certified Primary Stroke Centers

Tue, 26 March 2013 21:00:00 GMT

Certified Primary Stroke Centers are three times more likely to administer clot-busting treatment for strokes than non-certified centers, reports a new study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

T-Cell Therapy Eradicates an Aggressive Leukemia in Two Children

Mon, 25 March 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Two children with an aggressive form of childhood leukemia had a complete remission of their disease—showing no evidence of cancer cells in their bodies—after treatment with a novel cell therapy that reprogrammed their immune cells to rapidly multiply and destroy leukemia cells. A research team from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania published the case...

Debate Unsettled, Latest Evidence Unconvincing on PFO Closure Treatments, Penn-authored Editorial Reports

Fri, 22 March 2013 15:30:00 GMT

The results of two long-awaited clinical trials, testing a closure device versus medication to prevent stroke recurrence in young stroke survivors who have an opening in the atrial wall, have not provided enough evidence to conclude who, if anyone, is likely to benefit from the interventional procedure, according to an accompanying editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine co-authored by a...

Penn Study Finds Smoking Prolongs Fracture Healing and Increases Risk of Infection

Fri, 22 March 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Research has long shown the negative effects cigarette smoking has on cardiovascular health. But now, a new study from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania corroborates early evidence showing that cigarette smoking leads to longer healing times and an increased rate of post-operative complication and infection for patients...

Pre-Op Triage of Total Hip Replacement Patients Improves Outcomes

Fri, 22 March 2013 14:30:00 GMT

According to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, pre-operatively identifying patients with certain comorbid risk factors that may increase their chance of being admitted to the ICU following total hip replacement surgery results in fewer deaths, post-surgery complications, and unplanned ICU admissions. The full results of the study...

Penn Study Questions Efficacy and Unintentional Affects of Patient/Physician Shared Decision-Making

Fri, 22 March 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Shared decision-making between patients and physicians about health care decisions has previously been presented as superior to an approach that emphasizes physicians taking a leading role in directing key aspects of a patient’s care. But now, a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, calls into question the efficacy of shared...

Richard Nemiroff, M.D. Receives the Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Award

Thur, 21 March 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Richard Nemiroff, MD, of Penn Care OB/GYN at Pennsylvania Hospital, has been awarded the Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. He is being honored for championing the reproductive rights of women and their families for over 40 years.

Differences in Bone Healing in Young Vs. Old Mice May Hold Answers to Better Bone Healing for Seniors

Wed, 20 March 2013 14:00:00 GMT

By studying the underlying differences in gene expression during healing after a bone break in young versus aged mice, Jaimo Ahn, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and his colleagues aim to find specific pathways of fracture healing in humans.

Penn Researchers Show that Suppressing the Brain's "Filter" Can Improve Performance in Creative Tasks

Mon, 18 March 2013 15:15:00 GMT

The brain's prefrontal cortex is thought to be the seat of cognitive control, working as a kind of filter that keeps irrelevant thoughts, perceptions and memories from interfering with a task at hand. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that inhibiting this filter can boost performance for tasks in which unfiltered, creative thoughts present an advantage.

Telestroke Program Increases "Golden Hour" Access to Stroke Care by 40 Percent

Fri, 15 March 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Telestroke programs substantially improve access to life-saving stroke care, extending coverage to less populated areas in an effort to reduce disparities in stroke care access. A new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, being presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego March 16-23, 2013, found that...

Tau Transmission Model Opens Doors for New Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Therapies

Fri, 15 March 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Injecting synthetic tau fibrils into animal models induces Alzheimer's-like tau tangles and imitates the spread of tau pathology, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania being presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego March 16-23, 2013.

Improved Detection of Frontotemporal Degeneration May Aid Clinical Trial Efforts

Fri, 15 March 2013 14:00:00 GMT

A series of studies demonstrate improved detection of the second most common form of dementia, providing diagnostic specificity that clears the way for refined clinical trials testing targeted treatments. The new research is being presented by experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego...

MEDIA TOOLKIT: Penn Medicine at the 2013 American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting

Fri, 15 March 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Penn experts will be presenting the latest advances in treatment and diagnosis of neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and stroke at the American Academy of Neurology 65th Annual Meeting. Given the high global burden of rain disorders, which cause at least 25 percent of death and disability globally, the Penn team will gather with neurologists from around the world in San...

Perelman School of Medicine Students Celebrate Match Day

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:00:00 GMT

At the stroke of noon on March 15th, 161 Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania students (77 women and 84 men) will gather in an emotion-filled ceremony to open their "residency placement" envelopes and learn where they will spend the next few years receiving their advanced medical training.

Two-pronged Immune Cell Approach Could Lead to a Universal Shot Against the Flu

Thur, 14 Mar 2013 22:00:00 GMT

. John Wherry, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology and director of the Institute for Immunology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues, report in PLOS Pathogens that influenza virus-specific CD8+ T cells or virus-specific non-neutralizing antibodies are each relatively ineffective at conferring protective immunity alone. But, when combined, the...

Knowing How Brown Fat Cells Develop May Help Fight Obesity

Thur, 14 Mar 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Brown fat cells, as opposed to white fat cells, make heat for the body, and are thought to have evolved to help mammals cope with the cold. But, their role in generating warmth might also be applied to coping with obesity and diabetes. Patrick Seale, PhD, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and postdoctoral fellow Sona Rajakumari, PhD, along with Jun Wu from the...

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Ranked Among the Top Five Medical Schools in the Country

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:00:00 GMT

For the 16th year in a row, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States, according to an annual survey by U.S. News and World Report. In 2013, the School of Medicine was ranked #4 in the country.

Penn Study: Financial Incentives Affect Prostate Cancer Treatment Patterns

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:00:00 GMT

According to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, prostate cancer patients of urologists who own expensive radiation equipment are more likely to receive radiation treatment in lieu of surgery than patients treated by urologists without an ownership stake in the equipment.

Penn Study Examines Health Providers' Perspectives on ICD Deactivation In End-of-Life Situations

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:00:00 GMT

New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has revealed that many electrophysiology practitioners believe ICD and pacemaker deactivation to be ethically distinct and that an ICD should not be deactivated without discussion with patients and families, even in the face of medical futility.

Penn Medicine Researchers Show that Combination Therapy of CPAP and Weight Loss for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is Effective for Lowering Blood Pressure in Obese Patients

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The effects of weight loss and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the standard therapy for OSA, on blood pressure have been previously studied individually, but the incremental benefit of combination therapy (weight loss and CPAP therapy) over either therapy alone in obese patients with OSA has been unknown. Now, new research from a multidisciplinary team at the Perelman School of...

New Research Shows that While Niacin Added to Statin Therapy Increases HDL Cholesterol Levels It Does Not Improve HDL Functionality

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:00:00 GMT

A small study from researchers the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has shown that while niacin increased measured levels of HDL-C, it did not improve the functionality of HDL.

Penn Researchers Find Molecular Key to Exhaustion Following Sleep Deprivation

Fri, 09 Mar 2013 14:30:00 GMT

It happens to everyone: You stay up late one night to finish an assignment, and the next day, you're exhausted. Humans aren't unique in that; all animals need sleep, and if they don't get it, they must make it up. The biological term for that pay-the-piper behavior is "sleep homeostasis," and now, thanks to a research team at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, one of the...

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Ranks Among 100 Top Hospitals

Thur, 07 Mar 2013 23:59:59 GMT

For the second consecutive year, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has ranked among the nation's top 100 hospitals, according to the annual study by Truven Health Analytics, formerly the Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters.

Penn Medicine Physician: Emphasis on "Value" in Health Care Reform Sends Mixed Messages to Physicians, Patients

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:59:59 GMT

The wide consensus that health care spending poses a threat to the nation’s fiscal solvency has led to the championing of “value” as a goal of health care reform efforts. But the divergence of opinions between patients and physicians on the meaning of value presents an obstacle to progress in achieving genuine reform, says Lisa Rosenbaum, MD, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar and...

Penn Medicine Team Draws Map to Avoid Detours on Road to HIV Treatment Success

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:15:00 GMT

Addressing on the challenges that accompany transitions between health care settings could be a key strategy for improving clinical outcomes for people living with HIV, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

How the Body's Energy Molecule Transmits Three Types of Taste to the Brain

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:00:00 GMT

A team of investigators from nine institutions discovered how ATP – the body's main fuel source– is released as the neurotransmitter from sweet, bitter, and umami, or savory, taste bud cells.

Donor Smoking and Recipient Obesity Tied to Higher Rates of Death and Lung Injury After Lung Transplantation

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:45:00 GMT

A multi-institution study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has identified several important risk factors, including a donor's smoking history and recipient obesity, linked to severe primary graft dysfunction (PGD), the major cause of serious illness and death after lung transplantation.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Fish versus Fish Oil Pills Better at Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure in Animal Model

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:45:00 GMT

Toshinori Hoshi, PhD, professor of Physiology, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues showed, in two papers out this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, how fish oils help lower blood pressure via vasodilation at ion channels.

Colonoscopy Screening Reduces Risk of Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:00:00 GMT

A new study led by a researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania adds support to current medical recommendations stating that screening colonoscopy substantially reduces an average-risk adult’s likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) in either the right or left side of the colon.

Adding to the List of Disease-Causing Proteins in Brain Disorders

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:15:00 GMT

A multi-institution group of researchers has found new candidate disease proteins for neurodegenerative disorders.

Together We Can — A Benefit for Pennsylvania Hospital's Joan Karnell Cancer Center

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:30:00 GMT

Hundreds are gathering this Friday – including this year’s Woman of Courage Award Recipient, Lillian M.J. Dixon and NY Giants linebacker and cancer survivor Mark Herzlich, in support of patients and families facing cancer at Together We Can, a benefit for the Joan Joan Karnell Cancer Center (JKCC) at Pennsylvania Hospital.

Tweaking Gene Expression to Repair Lungs

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, Penn researchers showed that development of progenitor cells in the lung is specifically regulated by the combined function of two highly related HDACs, HDAC/1 and /2. The researchers published their findings in this week's issue of Developmental Cell.

Reprogramming Cells to Fight Diabetes

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:00:00 GMT

Treating human and mouse cells with compounds that modify cell nuclear material called chromatin induced the expression of beta cell genes in alpha cells, according to a new study that appears online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Penn Study Shows Long-Term Efficacy of Minimally Invasive Therapy for Patients with Barrett's Esophagus

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT

According to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, patients with Barrett's esophagus and early or pre-cancerous cells have been shown to significantly benefit from minimally invasive therapy delivered through an endoscope – a medical instrument used to look inside an organ or cavity in the body.

Penn Medicine Establishes New Institute for Biomedical Informatics

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:30:00 GMT

The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania announces the creation of the Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBI).

Epigenetics Shapes Fate of Brain vs. Brawn Castes in Carpenter Ants

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:30:00 GMT

The recently published genome sequences of seven well-studied ant species are opening up new vistas for biology and medicine. A detailed look at molecular mechanisms that underlie the complex behavioral differences in two worker castes in the Florida carpenter ant, Camponotus floridanus, has revealed a link to epigenetics.

Molecular Master Switch for Pancreatic Cancer Identified, Potential Predictor of Treatment Outcome

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT

A recently described master regulator protein may explain the development of aberrant cell growth in the pancreas spurred by inflammation.

Perelman School of Medicine Researcher Honored by the National Science Foundation

Thur, 7 Feb 2013 18:45:00 GMT

John B. Jemmott, PhD, professor of Communication in Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine and Kenneth B. Clark Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, has been selected as one of 60 scholars profiled by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

New Statistical Tool May Help Detect Novel Genes Linked to Heart Disease, Penn Study Reports

Thur, 7 Feb 2013 14:45:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Massachusetts Amherst report in the latest edition of PLOS ONE utilizing a novel statistical tool to analyze existing large databases of genetic information to mine new information about genes that modulate low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and its downstream consequences, heart attack,...

Eat to Dream: Penn Study Shows Dietary Nutrients Associated with Certain Sleep Patterns

Wed, 6 Feb 2013 19:15:00 GMT

A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows for the first time that certain nutrients may play an underlying role in short and long sleep duration and that people who report eating a large variety of foods – an indicator of an overall healthy diet – had the healthiest sleep patterns.

Distinguished Duke University Physician-Scientist and Educator Named CHOP Physician-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Joseph W. St. Geme, III, M.D., has been named physician-in-chief of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1, 2013.

Changes to DNA On-Off Switches Affect Cells' Ability to Repair Breaks, Respond to Chemotherapy

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, found a key determinant in the balance between two proteins, BRCA1 and 53BP1, in the DNA repair machinery. Breast and ovarian cancer are associated with a breakdown in the repair systems involving these proteins.

New Penn Study Shows "Default" Options In Advance Directives Influence How Patients Set Goals for End-Of-Life Care

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Advance care directives allow patients to provide instructions about their preferences for the care they would like to receive if they develop an illness or a life-threatening injury and lose the capacity to make decisions for themselves. While many people may assume that patients have strong preferences for the type and aggressiveness of care they wish to receive near life's end, a new study by...

Penn Study Confirms No Transmission of Alzheimer's Proteins Between Humans

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Mounting evidence demonstrates that the pathological proteins linked to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders are capable of spreading from cell-to-cell within the brains of affected individuals and thereby “spread” disease from one interconnected brain region to another. A new study found no evidence to support concerns that these abnormal disease proteins are “infectious” or...

Two-Step Immunotherapy Attacks Advanced Ovarian Cancer, Penn Medicine Researchers Report

Thur, 31 Jan 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with late stage disease that is unresponsive to existing therapies. In a new study, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine show that a two-step personalized immunotherapy treatment — a dendritic cell vaccine using patients’ own tumor followed by adoptive T cell therapy — triggers anti-tumor...

Itching for New Help for Eczema: Recently Identified Immune Cells Possible Therapeutic Target

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:45:00 GMT

David Artis, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, and Brian Kim, M.D., clinical instructor of Dermatology, from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, have identified a previously unknown critical role for a recently identified immune cell population in the progression of atopic dermatitis.

Penn Researcher Receives W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Award to Study Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 GMT

Benjamin F. Voight, PhD, assistant professor of Pharmacology and Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received an award for over $100,000 from the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust to study the complex patterns of genetic inheritance and environmental factors that underlie cardiovascular disease specifically in type-2 diabetics.

Personalized Strategies to Address Barriers to HIV Drug Adherence Boost Chances of Successful Therapy, Penn Medicine Study Shows

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:15:00 GMT

HIV patients who participated in an intervention that helped them identify barriers to taking their drugs properly and develop customized coping strategies took a significantly greater amount of their prescribed doses than those receiving standard care, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Trauma Patients, Community Say They Support Exception from Informed Consent Research, Penn Research Shows

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:45:00 GMT

A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania sought to examine peoples' willingness to be enrolled in trauma studies under the federal provisions that allow patients with time-sensitive illnesses and injuries to be part of clinical trials without their express consent. The study revealed that those surveyed expressed high levels of approval and willingness to...

HUP Nutrition Team Named Inaugural Winner of A.S.P.E.N. Clinical Nutrition Team of Distinction Award

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:30:00 GMT

The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) announced the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP)'s Clinical Nutrition Support Services team as one of the inaugural recipients of its 2012 Clinical Nutrition Team of Distinction award.

Penn Researcher Receives Scheele Award from the Swedish Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Garret FitzGerald, MD, FRS chair of the Department of Pharmacology and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the 2013 Scheele Award.

Penn Study Sheds Light on the Complexity of Gene Therapy for Congenital Blindness

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:30:00 GMT

New research from the Scheie Eye Institute, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that gene therapy for LCA shows enduring improvement in vision but also advancing degeneration of affected retinal cells, both in LCA patients and animal models of the same condition.

Exposure to Conflict-of-Interest Policies During Residency Reduces Rate of Brand Antidepressant Prescriptions, Penn Study Finds

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Psychiatrists who are exposed to conflict-of-interest (COI) policies during their residency are less likely to prescribe brand-name antidepressants after graduation than those who trained in residency programs without such policies, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Trapping Malaria Parasites Inside Host Blood Cell Forms Basis for New Class of Drugs, Penn Study Finds

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:00:00 GMT

One of the most insidious ways that parasitic diseases such as malaria and toxoplasmosis wreak their havoc is by hijacking their host's natural cellular processes, turning self against self. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University, led by Doron Greenbaum, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmacology at Penn, have identified the cell...

Transmission of Tangles in Alzheimer's Mice Provides More Authentic Model of Tau Pathology, Penn Study Shows

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:00:00 GMT

By using synthetic fibrils made from pure recombinant protein, Penn researchers provide the first direct and compelling evidence that tau fibrils alone are entirely sufficient to recruit and convert soluble tau within cells into pathological clumps in neurons, followed by transmission of tau pathology to other inter-connected brain regions from a single injection site in an animal model of tau...

Penn Medicine Study of Breast Cancer Message Boards Finds Frequent Discussion of Drug Side Effects, Discontinuation of Therapy

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:00:00 GMT

In the first study to examine discussion of drug side effects on Internet message boards, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that breast cancer survivors taking the commonly prescribed adjuvant therapy known as aromatase inhibitors (AIs) often detailed in these forums troublesome symptoms resulting from the drugs, and they were apt to report...

New Penn Medicine Blood Center to Unify Patient Care, Research, and Public Education Efforts for Blood Disorders

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Penn Medicine will establish the Philadelphia region’s first dedicated center for the treatment and research of blood diseases by combining the expertise of physicians who specialize in the care of blood disorder patients of all ages along with basic science and clinical researchers who are working to advance treatments for these illnesses.

Cancer Suppressor Gene Links Metabolism with Cellular Aging

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:00:00 GMT

A team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has identified a class of p53 target genes and regulatory molecules that represent more promising therapeutic candidates.

Penn Medicine Launches Nation's First Program for the Study of Ethical and Policy Issues in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:30:00 GMT

The Perelman School of Medicine and the department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania announce the creation of the Penn Neurodegenerative Disease Ethics and Policy Program.

Black and Hispanic Patients Less Likely to Complete Substance Abuse Treatment than White Patients, Penn Study Shows

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:00:00 GMT

Roughly half of all black and Hispanic patients who enter publicly funded alcohol treatment programs complete treatment, compared to 62 percent of white patients, according to a new study from a team of researchers including the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Untreated Parkinson's Disease Patients No More Likely to Have Impulse Control Disorders

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:00:00 GMT

While approximately one in five Parkinson's disease patients experience impulse control disorder symptoms, the disease itself does not increase the risk of gambling, shopping, or other impulsivity symptoms, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. A new study is the first to show in a large sample that people with untreated Parkinson's were no...

520-Day Simulated Mission to Mars Reveals Critical Data about Sleep and Activity Needs for Astronauts

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:00:00 GMT

In the first study of its kind, a team of researchers led by faculty at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Baylor College of Medicine, has analyzed data on the impact of prolonged operational confinement on sleep, performance, and mood in astronauts from a groundbreaking international effort to simulate a 520-day space mission to Mars.

Penn Study Details Dimmer Switch for Regulating Cell's Read of DNA Code

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:45:00 GMT

Penn researchers discovered that the enzyme activity of HDAC3 requires interaction with a specific region on another protein, which they dubbed the Deacetylase Activating Domain or DAD. This "nuts and bolts" discovery on the epigenetic control of a person's genome has implications for cancer and neurological treatments.

Penn Team Finds that Most-Used Diabetes Drug Works in Different Way than Previously Thought

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:45:00 GMT

A team, led by senior author Morris J. Birnbaum, MD, PhD, the Willard and Rhoda Ware Professor of Medicine, with the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, found that the diabetes drug metformin works in a different way than previously understood.

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Receives Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers from The Joint Commission and AHA/ASA

Thur, 03 Jan 2013 16:00:00 GMT

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) has been recognized by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) as meeting The Joint Commission's standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification, becoming the first center in Philadelphia and among a select few hospitals in the United States to be named as part...

Penn Medicine 2012 Year in Review

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:15:00 GMT

Taking a look back, 2012 has been a year marked by breakthroughs in medical research, system-wide growth, and landmark philanthropic support for Penn Medicine. As we set our sights on the year ahead, we also celebrate the past year's accomplishments and give thanks to the outstanding faculty, staff, and students that are the foundation of Penn Medicine with a sampling of the research, education,...

MRI Can Screen Patients for Alzheimer's Disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, Using Penn-designed Model

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:00:00 GMT

When trying to determine the root cause of a person's dementia, using an MRI can effectively and non-invasively screen patients for Alzheimer's disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Immune System Changes May Drive Aggressiveness of Recurrent Tumors, Penn Researchers Report

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:45:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvaniashow in an animal model that the enhanced aggressiveness of recurrent tumors may be due to changes in the body's immune response.

Penn Team Mimicking a Natural Defense Against Malaria to Develop New Treatments

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:30:00 GMT

One of the world's most devastating diseases is malaria, responsible for at least a million deaths annually, despite global efforts to combat it. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, working with collaborators from Drexel University, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Johns Hopkins University, have identified a protein in human blood...

Penn Team Developing New Class of Malaria Drugs Using Essential Calcium Enzyme

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:15:00 GMT

A team from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the University of California at San Francisco and the Department of Biochemistry and Protein Function Discovery at Queen's University, has developed a unique approach to calpain inhibition by mimicking a natural reaction with a synthesized molecule.

Penn Medicine Immunologist Chosen for Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Greg Sonnenberg, PhD, research associate in the Division of Gastroenterology and the Institute for Immunology, was chosen for Forbes magazine's second year of publishing a list of the top-30 rising stars in science and health under the age of 30.

Alzheimer's Association Awards Zenith Fellows Award to Penn's Robert Siman for Clever Research into Alzheimer's Drivers

Thur, 20 Dec 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Robert Siman, PhD, Research Professor of Neurosurgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received a Zenith Fellows Award from the Alzheimer's Association for his personal commitment to the advancement of Alzheimer's disease research, and his research contributions to better understanding and curing the disease.

Alzheimer's Patients with Non-Spousal Caregivers are Less Likely to Participate in Clinical Trials

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:00:00 GMT

People with Alzheimer's disease are less likely to participate in a clinical trial if they have non-spouse caregivers, according to a study by a team of researchers including the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Protein Kinase Akt Identified as Arbiter of Cancer Stem Cell Fate, According to Penn Study

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:30:00 GMT

The protein kinase Akt is a key regulator of cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, survival, and death. New work on Akt's role in cancer stem cell biology from the lab of senior author Honglin Zhou, MD, PhD and Weihua Li, co-first author, both from the Center for Resuscitation Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Xiaowei Xu,...

Penn Neuroscientist Receives Senior Scholar Award from Ellison Medical Foundation for Aging Research

Tues, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Amita Sehgal, PhD, professor of Neuroscience and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, at the Perleman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received a Senior Scholar Award from the Ellison Medical Foundation.

Microbiologist to Lead Penn Medicine's Institute for Immunology

Tues, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT

E. John Wherry, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology, has been named the new Director of the Institute for Immunology (IFI), at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Researchers Show Cocaine Addiction Resistance May Be Passed Down from Father to Son

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:30:00 GMT

New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that sons of male rats exposed to cocaine are resistant to the rewarding effects of the drug, suggesting that cocaine-induced changes in physiology are passed down from father to son.

Penn Medicine Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery Elected to American College of Surgeons Board of Regents

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT

L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS, was recently elected to the American College of Surgeons' (ACS) Board of Regents.

Penn Medicine's Carl June, MD, Named Co-Recipient of 2012 Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize from American Society of Hematology

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:30:00 GMT

Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of Translational Research in Penn's Abramson Cancer Center, will be honored as a recipient of the American Society of Hematology's 2012 Ernest Beutler Lecture and Prize today at the 54th ASH...

Leukemia Patients Remain in Remission More Than Two Years After Receiving Genetically Engineered T Cell Therapy

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Nine of twelve leukemia patients who received infusions of their own T cells after the cells had been genetically engineered to attack the patients' tumors responded to the therapy, which was pioneered by scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Presbyterian to Provide Free Total Knee Replacement as Part of Operation Walk USA 2012

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:30:00 GMT

On Friday, December 7, orthopaedic surgeons at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center will provide free total knee replacement to a local Philadelphia resident as part of Operation Walk USA 2012.

Penn Medicine Surgeons Perform First Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion Transplantation in the Philadelphia Region

Thur, 06 Dec 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Transplant surgeons at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have successfully used a new technique that repairs damaged donated lungs that would have been unusable, allowing for successful transplantation of the reconditioned lungs into a patient. The patient, a 66-year-old man from the Philadelphia suburbs, was transplanted at the Hospital of the University of...

Penn Medicine Performs 1000th Heart Transplant

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the program, Penn Medicine physicians have completed their 1000th lifesaving heart transplant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

"Resistance" to Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy Extremely Rare, According to Penn Study

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:45:00 GMT

In a study of 400 healthy volunteers published online this week in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, went looking for people who are truly resistant to the benefits of aspirin, such as might result from a particular genetic makeup.

Protected "Power Naps" Prove Helpful for Doctors in Training to Fight Fatigue During Overnight Shifts, Penn Study Finds

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:00:00 GMT

New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvaniaand the Philadelphia VA Medical Center indicates that the implementation of protected sleep periods for residents who are assigned to overnight shifts in a hospital represent a viable tool in preventing fatigue and alleviating the physiological and behavioral effects of sleep deprivation among these doctors in...

UPHS Team Awarded for Using Information Technology to Reduce Catheter—Associated Urinary Tract Infections

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:45:00 GMT

A Penn Medicine team led by Craig Umscheid, MD, MSCE, FACP, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology and director of the Center for Evidence-based Practice, was awarded by the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council and the Health Care Improvement Foundation with the first place 2012 Delaware Valley Patient Safety Award.

Five Penn Professors Named AAAS Fellows

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Five faculty members at the University of Pennsylvania have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Penn Study Finds Residents Believe Vacant Land Threatens Community, Physical and Mental Health

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:15:00 GMT

A new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania uses in-depth interviews with local residents to examine perspectives on how vacant land affects community, physical, and mental health.

Penn Team Identifies Molecular Root of "Exhausted" T Cells in Chronic Viral Infection

Thur, 29 Nov 2012 16:00:00 GMT

A new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, suggests a novel therapeutical approach that might be used to shift the balance of power in chronic infections. The study appears in the November 30 issue of Science.

Penn Scientist Named First Director of New Center for Orphan Disease Research and Therapy

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:45:00 GMT

H. Lee Sweeney, Ph.D., the William Maul Measey Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has been named the inaugural director of Penn’s Center for Orphan Disease Research and Therapy.

Penn-Temple Team Discovers What Keeps a Cell's Energy Source Going

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:45:00 GMT

In a new paper out this week in Nature Cell Biology, the same Penn-Temple team describe a new protein and its function. Like MICU1, this new protein, MCUR1, interacts physically with MCU, the uniporter calcium ion channel within the mitochondria.

Penn Medicine Physician Awarded 2012 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Recipient by American Association for Women Radiologists

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Parvati Ramchandani, MD, section chief, Genitourinary (GU) Radiology, Professor of Radiology and Surgery, was selected by the American Association for Women Radiologists (AAWR) as the 2012 recipient of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award for outstanding contributions to the field of radiology.

Pathway Identified in Human Lymphoma Points Way to New Blood Cancer Treatments

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:15:00 GMT

Research shows for the first time that the UPR is active in patients with human lymphomas and mice genetically bred to develop lymphomas.

Yeast Protein Breaks up Amyloid Fibrils and Disordered Protein Clumps In Different Ways

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Heat Shock Protein Hsp104 could be developed to eliminate toxic clumps linked with neurodegenerative diseases.

Parkinson's Disease Protein Causes Disease Spread and Neuron Death in Healthy Animals

Thur, 15 Nov 2012 14:00:00 GMT

After several years of incremental study, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania have been able to piece together important steps in how Parkinson's disease (PD) spreads from cell to cell and leads to nerve cell death.

Penn Study Decodes Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Stem Cell Reprogramming

Thur, 15 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Now, thanks to some careful detective work by a team of scientists led by Kenneth Zaret, PhD, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, researchers can better understand just how iPS cells form – and why the Yamanaka process is so inefficient, an important step to work out for regenerative medicine.

Penn Medicine Receives NIH Grant to Help Residents of Local Communities Move Forward After Asbestos Exposure

Thur, 15 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMT

To help empower residents to shape the future of their communities, and explain the potential consequences associated with asbestos exposure, researchers at the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, have been awarded a $1.2 million grant to develop an educational program using the communities' history of asbestos products...

Invitation to Cover: Penn Medicine Launches Combat to Care Campaign to Help Our Nation's Veterans

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:15:00 GMT

In recognition of Veteran’s Day this November, Penn Medicine proudly sponsors Joining Forces – a national initiative to heighten awareness about the health needs of our nation’s veterans, service members and families, and elevate the role that medical schools, nursing schools and teaching hospitals play in serving their community.

Targeting Downstream Proteins in Cancer-Causing Pathway Shows Promise in Cell, Animal Model, Penn Study Finds

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:30:00 GMT

Using Myc-active neuroblastoma cancer cells, a team led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator M. Celeste Simon, Ph.D., scientific director for the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute (AFCRI), identified the proteins PUMA, NOXA, and TRB3 as executors of the glutamine-starved cells.

NIH Awards Penn Scientists $10 million Over Five Years for Innovative Research on Single Cells

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:00:00 GMT

James Eberwine, PhD, Elmer Holmes Bobst Professor of Pharmacology in the Perelman School of Medicine, and Junhyong Kim, PhD, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor of Biology in the School of Arts and Sciences, will be studying the role of how messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules vary in their function in individual cells with a five-year, $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Invitation to Cover: Health Policy After the 2012 Election

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:00:00 GMT

U.S. Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz, a leading health care reform expert and Pennsylvania’s only female congressional representative, will speak about these and other issues on Friday at the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.

Chronically Critically Ill: Penn Physicians Discuss Patients' Regrets About Medical Decisions

Thur, 08 Nov 2012 14:30:00 GMT

In a new Perspective essay appearing in the November 8th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, two physicians from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, discuss unique challenges faced by patients and their families in decisions to undergo major medical and surgical procedures.

Fat-derived Stem Cells Hold Potential for Regenerative Medicine

Thur, 08 Nov 2012 12:30:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — As researchers work on reconfiguring cells to take on new regenerative properties, a new review from Penn Medicine plastic surgeons sheds additional light on the potential power of adipose-derived stem cells - or adult stem cells harvested from fatty tissue - in reconstructive and regenerative medicine.

Penn Medicine Contest Maps 1,400 Lifesaving AEDs Via Crowdsourcing Contest Fueled by Smart Phones

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 14:30:00 GMT

A crowdsourcing contest that sent hundreds of Philadelphians to locate and catalog the locations of AEDs throughout the nation's fifth largest city led to the identification of more than 1,400 automated external defibrillators in public places, according to a study from researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented today at the American...

Penn Medicine Expert to Receive American Heart Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in Cardiac Resuscitation Science

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 12:15:00 GMT

Lance Becker, MD, a professor of Emergency Medicine and director of the Center for Resuscitation Science at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will receive the American Heart Association's 2012 Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cardiac Resuscitation Science during the organization's annual Scientific Sessions.

Penn Medicine's Daniel J. Rader, MD, Receives American Heart Association's Clinical Research Prize

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Daniel J. Rader, MD, professor of Medicine and chief, Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the American Heart Association's (AHA) Clinical Research Prize for developing new methods to identify factors regulating the metabolism of fat particles in the bloodstream and testing their impact on the...

Penn Medicine Announces New Advanced Care Hospital Pavilion and Trauma Center at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Penn Medicine announced today plans to begin the second part of an expansion project that will transform and modernize the advanced care services provided at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) campus.

New Medication Shows Promise as Lipid-Lowering Therapy for Rare Cholesterol Disorder, Penn Study Finds

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT

An international effort led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has resulted in positive phase 3 clinical trial results for a new medicine to treat patients suffering from a rare and deadly cholesterol disorder.

Softening Arteries, Protecting the Heart: Penn Study Shows Underlying Connection Between "Good" Cholesterol and Collagen in Heart Health

Thur, 01 Nov 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Wistar Institute, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have discovered that the protein apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays a major role in maintaining arterial softness by suppressing production of the extracellular matrix, a network of connective tissue in the body.

Penn Researchers Find Error Reporting Improves Perceptions of Safety and May Reduce Incidents

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Documenting adverse events improves perceptions of safety and may decrease incidents in multi-site clinical practices, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Medicine's Brian Strom, MD, MPH, Elected to Chair Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, executive vice dean for Institutional Affairs at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been selected to Chair the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on the Consequences of Sodium Reduction in Populations.

Penn Nursing Leader Selected as National Scholar

Thur, 25 Oct 2012 20:15:00 GMT

Rhoda Redulla, DNP, RN, a nursing professional development specialist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, has been selected as a scholar by the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc.

New Evidence Suggests Certain Anesthetics Highjack the Brain's Natural Sleep Circuitry

Thur, 25 Oct 2012 16:30:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — A new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania demonstrates in an animal model that a commonly used inhaled anesthetic drug, isoflurane, works by directly causing sleep-promoting neurons in the brain to activate, thereby hijacking our natural sleep circuitry.

Penn-Temple Team Discovers Gatekeeper for Maintaining Health of Cell Energy Source

Thur, 25 Oct 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Now, Foskett's lab and the lab of co-corresponding author Muniswamy Madesh, PhD, at Temple University, have discovered an essential mechanism that regulates the flow of calcium into mitochondria, described in the October 26 issue of Cell. They demonstrated that the mitochondrial protein MICU1 is required to establish the proper level of calcium uptake under normal conditions.

Two Penn Medicine Physicians Honored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as Young Health Leaders

Thur, 25 Oct 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced that Raina Merchant, MD, MSHP, and Scott Halpern, MD, PhD, MBE, of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have been selected to receive an inaugural RWJF Young Leader Award.

Penn Medicine Researchers Map Strategy for "Choosing Wisely" on Low-Value Health Care Services

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Cutting the expenses associated with “low-value” medical tests and treatments – such as unnecessary imaging tests and antibiotics for viral infections that won’t benefit from them – will require a multi-pronged plan targeting insurance companies, patients, and physicians, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article published this week by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the...

University of Pennsylvania's Basser Research Center for BRCA Partners With FORCE, an Advocacy Group for Patients With Risks of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:30:00 GMT

A new collaboration between the Basser Research Center for BRCA in the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center and FORCE, a national nonprofit advocacy organization serving people and families facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, will strengthen ties between patients dealing with these issues and the Penn researchers and physicians who are devoted to finding new ways to...

Penn Researchers Receive Major Grant to Explore Use of Brain Training To Help People Change Behaviors that Increase Cancer Risk

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:00:00 GMT

A new project led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania aims to devise programs that help them change these risky behaviors and cut their risk of cancer.

Penn Receives Gift to Name Smilow Center for Translational Research and Enhance Bioinformatics Efforts

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — The University of Pennsylvania has received an undisclosed gift from father and son philanthropists Joel and William Smilow to support Penn Medicine’s translational research activities, naming the Smilow Center for Translational Research in the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Institute of Medicine Elects Four New Members from Penn Medicine

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — Four professors from the Perelman School of Medicine have been elected members of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), one of the nation's highest honors in biomedicine, with a total of six representing four schools at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Translational Medicine Institute to Hold 7th Annual Symposium

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:15:00 GMT

The Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics' 7th Annual International Symposium (ITMAT) will be held October 16 and 17 at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. This unique gathering brings together international experts to debate opportunities and hazards in systems pharmacology and translational medicine, or how drugs work on specific pathways, variability in...

Bitter Taste Receptors Regulate the Upper Respiratory Defense System, Penn Medicine Study Reveals

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:00:00 GMT

A new study from a team of researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Monell Chemical Senses Center, and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, reveals that a person’s ability to taste certain bitter flavors is directly related to their ability to fight off upper respiratory tract infections, specifically chronic sinus infections. The new research is...

Penn Researchers Create a Universal Map of Vision in the Human Brain

Thur, 04 Oct 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Nearly 100 years after a British neurologist first mapped the blind spots caused by missile wounds to the brains of soldiers, Perelman School of Medicine researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have perfected his map using modern-day technology.

Penn-developed Mouse Model of Debilitating Lung Disease Suggests Potential Treatment Regimen

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in Science Translational Medicine a new mouse model of LAM that does replicate those features, producing a way to study disease etiology and develop drugs. What’s more, two readily available drugs – an antibiotic and a statin – may help to treat, and maybe reverse, symptoms.

U.S. Department of Defense Awards Penn Researchers Funding to Investigate New Anti-Infection Drug

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:00:00 GMT

A team of researchers led by Samir Mehta, MD, chief of the Orthopaedic Trauma and Fracture Service at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received a $2.5 million grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), provided through the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), to begin Phase 2 human trials of a study that examines the effective...

Penn Study Documents Women's Experiences with Chromosome Abnormalities Found in New Prenatal Test

Thur, 20 Sep 2012 20:00:00 GMT

We often hear that “knowledge is power.” But, that isn’t always the case, especially when the knowledge pertains to the health of an unborn child, with murky implications, at best. A new study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, begins to document this exception to the general rule.

In-Hospital Identification of Newborn Congenital Ear Deformities Allows For Swift, Non-Surgical Correction, Penn Medicine Study Finds

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Enlisting newborn hearing screeners to help identify common ear deformities allows doctors to easily correct the condition without surgery before a baby leaves the hospital, according to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The new study is published online ahead of print in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.

Surgery Has a More Profound Effect than Anesthesia on Brain Pathology and Cognition in Alzheimer's Animal Model, Finds Penn Study

Thur, 13 Sep 2012 19:30:00 GMT

A year ago, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reported that Alzheimer's pathology, as reflected by cerebral spinal fluid biomarkers, might be increased in patients after surgery and anesthesia. However, it is not clear whether the anesthetic drugs or the surgical procedure itself was responsible. To separate these possibilities, the group turned to a...

Alzheimer's Experts from Penn Summit Provide Strategic Roadmap to Tackle the Disease

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:00:00 GMT

This week, a strategic roadmap to help to the nation’s health care system cope with the impending public health crisis caused Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia will be published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

Thickening of the Heart's Right Ventricle Could Foreshadow Heart Failure and Cardiovascular Death in Otherwise Heart-Healthy Patients, Penn Study Shows

Thur, 06 Sep 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in a new study that thickening of the heart's right ventricle is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death in patients without clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline.

Tension on Gut Muscles Induces Cell Invasion in Zebrafish Intestine, Mimicking Cancer Metastasis, Penn Study Finds

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Towards a better understanding of how tissue stiffness drives cancer, in a new paper published in PLoS Bio this week, Michael Pack, MD, associate professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues, show that epithelial cells lining the intestine of zebrafish that carry an activating mutation of the smooth muscle myosin gene form protrusions called...

Penn Medicine's Stanley Goldfarb, MD, Named President of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Stanley Goldfarb, MD, professor of Medicine and associate dean for Curriculum at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named the 61st president of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Twelve Penn Medicine Clinical Care Practices Earn National Recognition for Patient-Centered Care from the National Committee for Quality Assurance

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Twelve different Penn Medicine Clinical Care Associate (CCA) practices received level III certification for efforts to provide coordinated, efficient care through the Patient Centered Medical Home program run by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Perelman School of Medicine Granted $11.9 Million Renewal of NINDS Support for Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease Center of Excellence

Thur, 30 August 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine will receive $11.9 million over the next five years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) for the Penn Udall Center for Parkinson's Disease (PD) research.

The Joint Commission Certifies Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center as Primary Stroke Centers

Tue, 21 August 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Two Penn Medicine hospitals have received Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission for efforts to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients.

Biomarkers in Blood May Detect Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mon, 20 August 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Efforts to develop a blood test for Alzheimer's disease are progressing, as a new study co-authored by experts from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) found a group of biomarkers that hold up in statistical analyses in three independent groups of patients.

Penn Orthopaedics at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Receives Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission

Tue, 14 August 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for its hip and knee joint replacement services.

Diabetes Drugs Prescribed to More than 15 Million Americans Raises Risk of Bladder Cancer, Penn Medicine Study Shows

Mon, 13 August 2012 14:00:00 GMT

A popular class of diabetes drugs increases patients' risk of bladder cancer, according to a new study published online this month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that patients taking thiazolidinedione (TZDs) drugs – which account for up to 20 percent of the drugs prescribed to diabetics in...

$4.6 Million Renewal from NIH to Penn Program that Aims to Diversify Biomedical Education

Mon, 13 August 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Yvonne Paterson, PhD, professor of Microbiology, at the Perelman School of Medicine, and professor and associate dean, at the School of Nursing, has been awarded an almost $5 million renewal by the National Institute for General Medical Sciences for the University of Pennsylvania Postdoctoral Opportunities in Research and Training, or PENN-PORT, the postdoctoral-training program she leads.

Incoming Perelman School of Medicine Students Start Medical Careers with a Short White Coat AND an iPad

Thur, 10 August 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Nation's Oldest Medical School Equips New Students with Latest Mobile Technology, Replacing 20,000 Sheets of Paper per Student

Good Bugs Gone Bad: Microbes that Promote Normal Health Can "Turn Bad" if Found Outside the Intestine

Thur, 06 June 2012 18:00:00 GMT

The healthy human intestine is colonized with over 100 trillion beneficial, or commensal, bacteria of many different species. In healthy people, these bacteria are limited to the intestinal tissues and have a number of helpful properties, including aiding in the digestion of food and promoting a healthy immune system.

Invitation to Cover: Penn Medicine Hosts Premier of "Head Games" Documentary on Sports Concussions

Thur, 06 June 2012 14:00:00 GMT

On the evening of Thursday, June 7th, Penn Medicine and Penn Athletics will host a Red Carpet premiere of a new film, Head Games, a revealing documentary about the concussion crisis in sports.

Testicular Cancer Survivors Often Report Behaviors That Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Problems, Penn Study Shows

Thur, 31 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Despite being at risk of cardiovascular problems associated with testicular cancer treatment, survivors of the disease -- the most common type of cancer striking young men -- frequently report behaviors such as smoking and risky alcohol use that could further raise their chances of developing those late effects of treatment, according to a study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the...

Penn Study Finds Delayed Side Effects of Head and Neck Cancer Treatments Go Unreported

Thur, 31 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

National data show that currently more than 10 percent of preschoolers in the United States are obese, and an additional 10 percent are overweight. In a recently published article, a researcher from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with peers and colleagues from across the nation, says that effective strategies to target pregnancy, infancy, and...

Penn Medicine Cancer Research and Experts at ASCO

Thur, 31 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Resources for Media Covering the American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting June 1-5, 2012.

Researchers Call for Obesity Prevention Efforts to Focus on Community-Wide Systems that Influence Early Life

Thur, 31 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Prescription-Drug Monitoring Programs Needed to Curtail Dangers Associated with "Pharmaceuticalization" of 21st Century

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Individual use of prescription opioids has increased four-fold since the mid-1990s, in part due to increased awareness of pain control for chronic conditions such as low back pain and fibromyalgia and a Joint Commission mandate that hospitals assess patients' pain as a vital sign along with their blood pressure and temperature.

Perelman School of Medicine Selected by National Institutes of Health as a Center of Excellence in Pain Education

Wed, 30 May 2012 20:00:00 GMT

The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and School of Dental Medicine, has been designated a national Center of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Photodynamic Therapy Added to Lung-Sparing Surgery Improves Survival for Mesothelioma Patients

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Among patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, treatment with lung-sparing surgery in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) yielded unusually long survival rates, with median survival rates up to two or more years longer than is reported with traditional treatments, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

First Your Big Idea Tournament Collected over 1,700 Ideas and 66,000 Ratings and Comments from Penn Medicine Faculty and Staff

Thur, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Two teams of employees were selected as winners in Penn Medicine's first employee Your Big Idea Innovation Tournament for projects aimed at improving the patient and caregiver experience at Penn Medicine.

New Research from Penn Medicine Challenges Established Concept that Raising HDL Helps Counter Heart Attack Risk

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:00:00 GMT

A new study published by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Broad Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital, challenges the conventional concept that raising a person's HDL levels (good cholesterol) will always help lower their risk of a heart attack.

FDA-approved Drug Makes Established Cancer Vaccine Work Better, Penn Study Finds

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:00 GMT

A team from the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania found that the FDA-approved drug daclizumab improved the survival of breast cancer patients taking a cancer vaccine by 30 percent, compared to those patients not taking daclizumab.

Sundown Syndrome-like Symptoms in Fruit Flies May be Due to High Dopamine Levels

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania researchers have discovered a mechanism involving the neurotransmitter dopamine that switches fruit fly behavior from being active during the day (diurnal) to nocturnal.

Black Cardiac Arrest Victims Less Apt to Receive CPR and Shocks to the Heart from Bystanders, Penn Study Shows

Fri, 11 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Black cardiac arrest victims who are stricken outside hospitals are less likely to receive bystander CPR and defibrillation on the scene than white patients, according to research that will be presented by a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania today at the annual meeting of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Lifesaving Devices Missing Near the Scene of Three Quarters of Cardiac Arrests, Penn Study Reveals

Fri, 11 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

More than 75 percent of cardiac arrest victims are stricken too far away from an automated external defibrillator for the lifesaving device to be obtained quickly enough to offer the best chance at saving their lives, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented today at the annual meeting of Society for Academic Emergency...

Graduation and Mother's Day Combined: Perelman School of Medicine Students and Mothers Celebrate Major Milestones Together

Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:00 GMT

One hundred and thirty-nine Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania students will take the Hippocratic Oath for the first time as new doctors this Sunday, May 13, 2012.

Tool Helps Physicians Rethink Potential Risks, Benefits for Test Given to 14 Percent of All U.S. ER Patients

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

A new electronic medical record tool that tallies patients' previous radiation exposure from CT scans helps reduce potentially unnecessary use of the tests among emergency room patients with abdominal pain, according to a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Society for Academic...

Penn Medicine-Led Cardiovascular Health Screening Technology Receives Innovative Development Funding from American Heart Association

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

The American Heart Association (AHA) announced today that they have made their first investment through the Science and Technology Accelerator Program into CytoVas, LLC.

Block Its Recycling System, and Cancer Kicks the Can, According to New Penn Study

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

All cells have the ability to recycle unwanted or damaged proteins and reuse the building blocks as food. But cancer cells have ramped up the system, called autophagy, and rely on it to escape damage in the face of chemotherapy and other treatments.

Penn Receives $25 Million Gift to Create Basser Research Center for Inherited Cancers

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

A $25 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania from alumni Mindy and Jon Gray will establish a center focused on the treatment and prevention of cancers associated with hereditary BRCA mutations.

Liver Fat Gets a Wake-Up Call That Maintains Blood Sugar Levels, According to Penn Study

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

A Penn research team, led by Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, reports in Nature Medicine that mice in which an enzyme called histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) was deleted had massively fatty livers, but lower blood sugar, and were thus protected from glucose intolerance and insulin...

Two Winners Take Grand Prize in Penn Medicine's MyHeartMap Challenge

Thur, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Two Philadelphia-area residents have been named the winners of Penn Medicine's MyHeartMap Challenge, the citywide crowdsourcing contest aimed at locating and mapping all of the lifesaving automated external defibrillators in Philadelphia.

Three Penn Faculty Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Thur, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Perelman School of Medicine professors Gideon Dreyfuss, PhD, the Isaac Norris Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Beatrice H. Hahn, MD, professor of Medicine and Microbiology, along with Nancy Bonini, PhD, the Lucille B. Williams Professor of Biology in Penn's School of Arts and Sciences, have been elected members of the National Academy of Sciences, considered one of the...

Genetically Modified T Cell Therapy Shown to be Safe, Lasting in Decade-Long Penn Medicine Study of HIV Patients

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:00:00 GMT

HIV patients treated with genetically modified T cells remain healthy up to 11 years after initial therapy, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in the new issue of Science Translational Medicine.

NSAIDs and Cardiovascular Risk Explained, According to Studies from the Perelman School of Medicine

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:00:00 GMT

After nearly 13 years of study and intense debate, a pair of new papers from the Perelman School of Medicine, at the University of Pennsylvania have confirmed exactly how a once-popular class of anti-inflammatory drugs leads to cardiovascular risk for people taking it.

Penn Medicine Physician Receives National Honor for Advancing Field of Urology

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Alan J. Wein, MD, PhD (Hon), has received the Keyes Medal from the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS) for his contributions to the field of urology. Wein is professor and chief of the division of Urology at the Perelman School of Medicine and Director of the Urology Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh, Former Perelman School of Medicine Dean, Receives Prestigious Medal for Medical Service

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh, was awarded the highest honor of the Association of American Physicians (AAP) the George M. Kober Medal, this week at the annual joint meeting of the AAP and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

New Penn Study Confirms Two Treatments for Age-Related Macular Degeneration Provide Equal Improvements in Vision

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Two drugs commonly used to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) yield similar improvements in vision for patients receiving treatments on a monthly or as-needed basis, according to a study from researchers at the Center for Preventive Ophthalmology and Biostatistics (CPOB) at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Newer, More Expensive Psoriasis Drugs Only Slightly More Effective Than Older Therapies Under Real World Conditions

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:00:00 GMT

More expensive biologic treatments for psoriasis were only marginally more effective than standard treatments, according to a new study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers found that previously reported response rates from randomized controlled trials were higher than results in a clinical, real-world setting.

Perelman School of Medicine Researchers Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Perelman School of Medicine researchers Thomas Curran, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Gary A. Koretzky, MD, PhD, vice chair for research and chief scientific officer, Department of Medicine, and are among the 220 elected to the 2012 class of members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Gatekeeper of Brain Steroid Signals Boosts Emotional Resilience to Stress

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:00:00 GMT

A cellular protein called HDAC6, newly characterized as a gatekeeper of steroid biology in the brain, may provide a novel target for treating and preventing stress-linked disorders, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Perelman School of Medicine Professor Elected to the Royal Society

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Garret FitzGerald, MD, chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine & Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is among the 44 newly elected Fellows and eight newly elected Foreign Members to the Royal Society.

Penn Medicine Study Calls for Range of Diagnostic Spinal Fluid Tests to Help Clinicians Differentiate Concurrent Neurodegenerative Diseases

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:40:00 GMT

In a series of studies being presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Penn researchers demonstrated that, while tests created for AD are effectively diagnosing the condition when it's clear cut, additional tests are needed to address the many cases with mixed pathology.

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Receives Prominent Magnet Recognition for Superior Patient Care

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) has achieved Magnet status – the highest institutional honor awarded for nursing excellence – from the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program.

ALS Patients Differ on Treatment Choices in Later Phases of Disease, Penn Medicine Study Shows

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Two new studies analyzing treatment decisions in late-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients shed light onto treatments aimed to extend the duration and quality of life in this progressively debilitating neuromuscular disorder.

Penn Medicine Cancer Team's "Serial Killer" T Cell Leukemia Treatment Named Among Nation's Top Clinical Research Achievements

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Carl June, MD, director of Translational Research for the Abramson Cancer Center and a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, has been named among the top three winners of the inaugural Clinical Research Forum Top 10 Clinical Research Achievement Awards for his work treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia using genetically...

Parkinson's Protein Causes Disease Spread in Animal Model, Suggesting Way Disorder Progresses Over Time in Humans

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Last year, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that small amounts of a misfolded brain protein can be taken up by healthy neurons, replicating within them to cause neurodegeneration.

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Ranked Among 100 Top Hospitals in the Nation, According to Thompson Reuters

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has ranked among the nation's top 100 hospitals, according to the annual study by Thompson Reuters.

Penn Medicine's CAREs Foundation Funds Community Health and Education Programs

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Continuing its commitment to underserved communities, Penn Medicine established the CAREs Foundation Grant Program in January 2012 to support and recognize faculty, student, and/or staff efforts to improve the health of the community and increase volunteerism in community-based programs.

Breast Cancer Patients Suffer Treatment-Related Side Effects Long After Completing Care, Penn Study Shows

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:00:00 GMT

More than 60 percent of breast cancer survivors report at least one treatment-related complication even six years after their diagnosis, according to a new study led by a researcher from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Study Cautions Use of Drugs to Block "Niacin Flush" in Heart Patients

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Niacin, or vitamin B3, is the one approved drug that elevates good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein, HDL) while depressing bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein , LDL), and has thereby attracted much attention from patients and physicians. Niacin keeps fat from breaking down, and so obstructs the availability of LDL building blocks.

DNA Sequencing Consortium Finds Patterns of Mutations in Autism, Highlighting Potential Risk Factors

Thur, 05 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Researchers have long recognized that autism runs in families, suggesting a genetic component.

Coordinating the Circadian Clock: Perelman School of Medicine Researchers Find that Molecular Pair Controls Time-Keeping and Fat Metabolism

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:00:00 GMT

The 24-hour internal clock controls many aspects of human behavior and physiology, including sleep, blood pressure, and metabolism.

Penn Bioethicist Jonathan Moreno Appointed to UNESCO International Bioethics Committee

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:00:00 GMT

The University of Pennsylvania's Jonathan Moreno has been invited to join the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's International Bioethics Committee.

Three Penn Medicine Hospitals Receive Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) has awarded three-year accreditation to all three Penn Medicine hospitals in recognition of their commitment to the highest level of quality cancer care.

Penn Medicine Researchers Honored with Pasarow Medical Research Award

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Virginia M.Y. Lee, PhD, MBA, and John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, both professors of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, have been named recipients of the 24th annual Medical Research Award in Neuropsychiatric Disorders by the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation.

Duality of Longevity Drug Explained by Perelman School of Medicine Researchers

Thur, 29 Mar 2012 18:00:00 GMT

A Penn- and MIT-led team explained how rapamycin, a drug that extends mouse lifespan, also causes insulin resistance.

Penn Medicine Cardiovascular Researcher Honored by American Medical Association for Promising Work in Congenital Heart Disease

Thur, 29 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Rajan Jain, MD, cardiovascular fellow, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, has been honored with an American Medical Association (AMA) 2012 Seed Grant Research Program award for his promising research into congenital heart disease.

Penn Researchers Call for a Re-Examination of Transplant Waitlist Prioritization

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Patients with end-stage liver disease complicated by the most common type of liver cancer – hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – are less likely to die or become too sick for a transplant while waiting for a new liver than those with other complications of end-stage liver disease, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Perelman School of Medicine Researchers Receive $2 Million Grant to Help Prevent Chronic Diseases among HIV Positive African American Men

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, have received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study novel approaches to preventing chronic diseases in HIV positive African American men.

Penn Study Reveals Safety of Coronary CT Scans for Rapidly Ruling Out Heart Attacks Among Emergency Room Patients With Chest Pain

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

A highly detailed CT scan of the heart can safely and quickly rule out the possibility of a heart attack among many patients who come to hospital emergency rooms with chest pain, according to the results of a study that will be presented by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania today at the American College of Cardiology’s 61st Annual Scientific...

Inner Weapons Against Allergies: Gut Bacteria Control Allergic Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine Study Finds

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT

When poet Walt Whitman wrote that we contain multitudes, he was speaking metaphorically, but he was correct in the literal sense.

Nobel Laureate Peter Agre, MD, to Speak at the Perelman School of Medicine Commencement

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Nobel Laureate Peter Agre, MD, professor and director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Bloomberg School of Public Health, will deliver the address at the Perelman School of Medicine’s commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 13, 2012 in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

Penn Medicine Neurosurgeon Receives Joel A. Gingras, Jr. Award from American Brain Tumor Association

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Steven Brem, MD, professor of Neurosurgery, chief of the division of Neurosurgical Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received the 2012 Joel A. Gingras, Jr. award from the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA).

Brain Insulin Resistance Contributes to Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Insulin resistance in the brain precedes and contributes to cognitive decline above and beyond other known causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Perelman School of Medicine Experts Identify Inhibitor Causing Male Pattern Baldness and Target for Hair Loss Treatments

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified an abnormal amount a protein called Prostaglandin D2 in the bald scalp of men with male pattern baldness, a discovery that may lead directly to new treatments for the most common cause of hair loss in men.

Penn Researchers Find Mentoring Provides Health Benefits for African American Veterans with Diabetes

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Intervention by peer mentors has a statistically significant effect on improving glucose control in African American veterans with diabetes, according to a study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP).

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Receives Renewal of Highest Nursing Credential with Prestigious Magnet Recognition

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:00:00 GMT

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) has been accredited for the second time as a Magnet organization - the highest institutional honor granted for nursing excellence - from the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program.

New Research from Penn Medicine Reveals Mothers of Kids with Autism Earn Significantly Less

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a lifelong set of developmental disorders that often demand significant resources of time and money from families.

Penn Medicine Anesthesiologist Named as President of the Society for Critical Care Medicine

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Clifford S. Deutschman, MD, MS, professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and director of the Sepsis Research Program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has been named as the President of the Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM).

"Medical March Madness" as Perelman School of Medicine Students Countdown to Match Day

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

At the stroke of noon on Friday, March 16, 140 Perelman School of Medicine students (70 women and 70 men) will gather in an emotion-filled ceremony to open their "residency placement" envelopes and learn where they will spend the next few years receiving their advanced medical training.

Genetic Variation in Human Gut Viruses Could be Raw Material for Inner Evolution, Perelman School of Medicine Study Finds

Thur, 15 Mar 2012 01:00:00 GMT

A growing body of evidence underscores the importance of human gut bacteria in modulating human health, metabolism, and disease.

Penn-Developed Online Cancer Resource Launches Redesign, New Features to Guide Patients, Caregivers

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

OncoLink, a free cancer information website developed by experts at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center has launched a redesigned website based on the search habits and feedback from patients, caregivers and health care providers who use the site.

Potential Alzheimer's Disease Drug Slows Damage and Symptoms in Animal Model, According to Perelman School of Medicine Study

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:00:00 GMT

A study published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that the compound epothilone D (EpoD) is effective in preventing further neurological damage and improving cognitive performance in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Ranked #2 Medical School in the Nation, According to U.S. News and World Report

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (www.med.upenn.edu) has ranked second among the nation's research-oriented medical schools, according to the annual survey by U.S. News and World Report.

Penn Medicine Researchers Receive $3.5 Million to Study New Approaches to Prevent the Effects of Stress in Military Personnel

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 21:00:00 GMT

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (www.med.upenn.edu) and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) (www.chop.edu), including specialists in neurobiology, psychiatry, and biomedical imaging, have received a $3.5 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)* to study how to enhance stress...

Expensive yet Cost-Effective: Aggressive Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improves Outcomes, Reduces Long-Term Costs, Penn Study Shows

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Aggressive treatment for severe traumatic brain injuries costs more than routine care, yet yields significantly better outcomes, improved quality of life, and lower long term care costs, according to a new study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Medicine Science Educator Recognized by Society for Developmental Biology

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Jamie Shuda, EdD, director of life science outreach at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IRM), and coordinator of life science education at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships also at Penn, along with Steve Farber, PhD, Investigator, Embryology Department, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, have been awarded the Hamburger Outstanding Educator...

Penn Biochemist Receives Hodgkin Award from The Protein Society

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Mark A. Lemmon, PhD, chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, is the 2012 recipient of the Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award by The Protein Society.

New Universal Platform for Cancer Immunotherapy Developed by Penn-led Team

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report this month in Cancer Research a universal approach to personalized cancer therapy based on T cells.

One in Four U.S. HIV Patients Don't Stay in Care, Penn Study Shows

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Only about 75 percent of HIV/AIDS patients in the United States remain in care consistently, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published online this week in AIDS.

Defying Expectations: Penn Medicine Study Reveals Americans Report Improved Sleep with Age

Thu, 1 Mar 2012 03:00:00 GMT

Aging does not appear to be a factor in poor sleep, a new study by Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows.

Penn Medicine Named as a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Regional Center for Heart Failure Research

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:00:00 GMT

The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has been has been selected as a Regional Center for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Heart Failure Clinical Trials Network.

Four Penn Researchers Awarded Sloan Fellowships

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:00:00 GMT

Four University of Pennsylvania faculty members, including two from the Perelman School of Medicine, are among this year's Sloan Fellowship recipients.

Sleepless in the South: Penn Medicine Study Discovers State and Regional Prevalence of Sleep Issues in the United States

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have put sleeplessness on the map - literally. The research team, analyzing nationwide data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has produced the first state-by-state sleep maps for the United States, revealing that residents of Southern states suffer from the most sleep disturbances...

Penn Radiology Researchers Researchers Receive $2.5 Million NIH Grant for Breast Cancer Virtual Clinical Trials

Thur, 23 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Two researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have been awarded a four-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute to conduct breast cancer virtual clinical trials research.

New Member of the Breast-Cancer Gene Network Found by Penn-led Team

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

The infamous BRCA genes do not act alone in causing cancer; there is a molecular syndicate at work preventing the way cells normally repair breaks in DNA that is at the root of breast cancer. But finding all of the BRCA molecular collaborators has been elusive.

Revising the "Textbook" on Liver Metabolism Offers New Targets for Diabetes Drugs, According to Penn Study

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT

A team led by researchers from the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (IDOM) at the erelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, has overturned a "textbook" view of what the body does after a meal.

New Combo of Chemo and Well-Known Malaria Drug Delivers Double Punch to Tumors

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Blocking autophagy -- the process of "self-eating" within cells -- is turning out to be a viable way to enhance the effectiveness of a wide variety of cancer treatments.

Study Provides Roadmap for Improved Care of Epilepsy Emergencies by Paramedics

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Injecting epilepsy patients with medication via an autoinjector -- similar to the EpiPens used to treat serious allergic reactions -- works more quickly to stop seizures than delivery of a drug via IV on board ambulances, according to a national study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Gene Therapy for Inherited Blindness Succeeds in Patients' Other Eye

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Gene therapy for congenital blindness has taken another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients previously treated in one eye. After receiving the same treatment in their other eye, the patients became better able to see in dim light, and two were able to navigate obstacles in low-light situations. No adverse effects occurred.

Molecular Path from Internal Clock to Cells Controlling Rest and Activity Revealed in Penn Study

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The molecular pathway that carries time-of-day signals from the body's internal clock to ultimately guide daily behavior is like a black box, says Amita Sehgal, PhD, the John Herr Musser Professor of Neuroscience and Co-Director, Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Four-Week Vaccination Regimen Knocks Out Early Breast Cancer Tumors, Penn Researchers Report

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania report that a short course of vaccination with an anti-HER2 dendritic cell vaccine made partly from the patient's own cells triggers a complete tumor eradication in nearly 20 percent of women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early breast cancer. More than 85 percent of patients...

New Report Examines Autism Needs for Patients and Families in Pennsylvania

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Results were released yesterday from the Pennsylvania Autism Needs Assessment, which includes feedback from 3,500 Pennsylvania caregivers and adults with autism, making it the largest study of its kind in the nation. Among the findings, the study shows that training in social skills has been identified as the most common unmet need for both children and adults with autism. The study also found...

Sleep Problems Increase Risk for Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Obesity, Penn Study Shows

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

People who suffer from sleep disturbances are at major risk for obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. For the first time in such a large and diverse sample, analyzing the data of over 130,000 people, the new research also indicates that general sleep disturbance (difficulty falling asleep,...

Gender Differences in Liver Cancer Risk Explained by Small Changes in Genome, Penn Study Finds

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Men are four times more likely to develop liver cancer compared to women, a difference attributed to the sex hormones androgen and estrogen. Although this gender difference has been known for a long time, the molecular mechanisms by which estrogens prevent -- and androgens promote -- liver cancer remain unclear.

Cell Tracking Allows Penn Researchers to See Metastasis of Pancreatic Cancer in Action

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

TBen Stanger, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and Andrew Rhim, MD, a Gastroenterology Fellow in the Stanger lab, discovered that pancreatic cancer cells in an animal model begin to spread before clinically obvious tumor tissue is detected. What’s more, they showed that inflammation...

Penn Lung Biologists to Receive $2.5 Million to Study Repair and Regeneration

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is one of six institutions to be named part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Lung Repair and Regeneration Consortium (LRRC). Each of the institutions will receive $2.5 million over five years. Edward Morrisey, PhD, professor of Medicine and Cell and Developmental Biology and Scientific Director of the Penn...

Cancer Cells Feed on Sugar-Free Diet

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Cancer cells have been long known to have a "sweet tooth," using vast amounts of glucose for energy and for building blocks for cell replication.

Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Improves Motion and Mood, Reduces Medications

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

A new multi-center study, including neurologists and neurosurgeons from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, reveals that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) – a treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with medication-resistant muscle movement impairment or tremors – can improve those symptoms and reduce medications for patients implanted with the device. The study...

Gout Flares Reduced with Protein-trapping Treatment

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Patients with gout – a painful type of inflammatory arthritis caused by the crystallization of urates in soft tissues – are advised to start treatment that lowers uric acid levels in the blood. Unfortunately, as the long-term medication starts to break down crystals deposited in the joints, many patients experience gout attacks caused by the release of crystals from softened deposits.

Penn Researchers Find Concurrent Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes and Depression Significantly Improves Both Conditions

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Patients simultaneously treated for both Type 2 diabetes and depression improve medication compliance and significantly improve blood sugar and depression levels compared to patients receiving usual care, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Of patients receiving integrated care combined with a brief period of intervention...

Four Penn Professors Named AAAS Fellows

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Four faculty members at the University of Pennsylvania have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), three from the Perelman School of Medicine. This year 539 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

Dana Foundation Grant to Test Concussion Treatment for Athletes

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Peter LeRoux, MD, FACS, associate professor of Neurosurgery in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, was awarded a 3-year, $250,000 Dana Foundation Clinical Neuroscience grant, to conduct a study using branch chain amino acids to treat concussion in athletes.

Penn Researchers Shorten Time for Manufacturing of Personalized Ovarian Cancer Vaccine

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are in the midst of testing a personalized, dendritic cell vaccine in patients with recurrent ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer – a group of patients who typically have few treatment options. Now, they have shown they can shorten the time to manufacture this type of anti-cancer vaccine, which...

Size Matters: Measuring Brain Thickness Identifies Those at High Risk for Cognitive Decline, Penn Study Shows

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A new measurement tool can identify cognitively normal adults who are at high risk for cognitive decline, according to a new study by collaborators at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School. The study is published in the December 21, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Penn Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology Receives Prestigious 2011 Award from Women in Ophthalmology

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD, professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and director of the Glaucoma Division at Scheie Eye Institute, was recently presented with the Women in Ophthalmology's Suzanne Veronneau Troutman Award at the 2011 American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. The honor recognizes the woman, nominated by the WIO membership, who has done the most over the past year to further women in...

Penn Medicine Offers Area's Only Online Patient-Accessible Health Record

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Penn Medicine has launched myPennMedicine, the Philadelphia region's only online patient-accessible health record.

Penn Receives $16 Million Gift to Launch New Initiative Focusing on the Neuroscience of Behavior

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

The Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania announces the establishment of the Neuroscience of Behavior Initiative. This new initiative, funded by an anonymous gift, will strengthen Penn programs in basic, translational, clinical, and population research into the areas of addiction, depressive disorders, and neurodegenerative disease. The gift, totaling more...

Penn Scientist Receives Senior Scholar Award from Ellison Medical Foundation for Aging Research

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

James Eberwine, PhD, professor of Pharmacology, at the Perleman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received a Senior Scholar Award from the Ellison Medical Foundation. This supports basic biological research in aging, for $600,000 to be disbursed over the next four years. He is one of 20 investigators to receive this award.

Penn Study Shows How B Cells May Generate Antibodies After Vaccination

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Steve Reiner, MD, professor of Medicine, and Burton Barnett, a doctoral student in the Reiner lab at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, have shown how immune cells, called B lymphocytes, are able to produce daughter cells that are not equal, a finding that might explain how lifelong antibodies are made after vaccination.

Novel Immuno-Gene Therapy Shows Promise for the Treatment of Rare, Deadly Form of Cancer

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report promising new results from a small clinical trial using an immune-system-based gene therapy for treating advanced stages of a deadly cancer, malignant mesothelioma. The treatment, immuno-gene therapy, transfers just enough genetic material from an existing virus to trigger a patient's innate defenses to...

HIV Drug Reduces Graft-versus-Host Disease in Stem Cell Transplant Patients, Penn Study Shows

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Inhibition of Lymphocyte Trafficking Using a CCR5 Antagonist – Final Results of a Phase I/II Study.

Reprogramming Brain Cells Important First Step for New Parkinson's Therapy, Penn Study Finds

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

In efforts to find new treatments for Parkinson’s Disease (PD), researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have directly reprogrammed astrocytes, the most plentiful cell type in the central nervous system, into dopamine-producing neurons. PD is marked by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. Dopamine is a brain chemical important in...

Test for Alzheimer's Disease Predicts Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease, Penn Study Shows

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A method of classifying brain atrophy patterns in Alzheimer's disease patients using MRIs can also detect cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers also found that higher baseline Alzheimer's patterns of atrophy predicted long-term cognitive decline in cognitively normal...

More Widespread Brain Atrophy Detected in Parkinson's Disease with Newly Developed Structural Pattern

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Atrophy in the hippocampus, the region of the brain known for memory formation and storage, is evident in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with cognitive impairment, including early decline known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study is published in the December issue of the Archives...

Penn Medicine Physician Receives Prestigious Award for Groundbreaking Work in Interventional Pulmonology

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Daniel Sterman, MD, director of Interventional Pulmonology, and associate professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Medicine, has been honored with the Pasquale Ciaglia Memorial Lecture award in Interventional Medicine.

Penn Study Points to Novel Way to Improve Outcomes from Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A Phase 1 Dose Escalation Study of Infusion of ExVivo CD3/CD28 Costimulated Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived T Cells in Adults Undergoing Transplantation for Advanced Hematologic Malignancies.

Penn Researchers Repair Immune System in Leukemia Patients Following Chemotherapy

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Adoptive Immunotherapy with Autologous CD3/CD28-Costimulated T-Cells After Fludarabine-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Penn Study Unlocks Origins of Blood Stem Cells

Thur, 8 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A research team led by Nancy Speck, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has discovered a molecular marker for the immediate precursors of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells (HSCs) in the developing embryo, which provides much-needed insights for making these cells from engineered precursors.

Penn Medicine Contest Challenges Philadelphians to Help Save Lives With Their Cell Phones

Thur, 8 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A group of Penn Medicine researchers is set to save lives with cell phone cameras -- and they are challenging the public to help. The MyHeartMap Challenge, a month-long contest slated to take place beginning in mid January, will send thousands of Philadelphians to the streets and to social media sites to locate as many automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as they can. The contest is just a...

Penn Researchers Find Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy (CPM) Offers Limited Gains to Life Expectancy for Breast Cancer Patients

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A Decision Analysis of Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy in Women Undergoing Treatment for Sporadic Unilateral Breast Cancer.

Academic Medical Center Specialty Clinics More Likely to Give Appointments to Children With Medicaid/CHIP Insurance, But They Face Longer Wait Times, Penn Researchers Report

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

In a study in which researchers posing as mothers attempted to schedule appointments for sick children at specialty clinics, practices affiliated with academic medical centers were less likely to deny appointments to children with Medicaid-CHIP insurance coverage versus children with commercial insurance, according to report from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania...

Science-Fair Switcheroo, Where Kids Judge the Science

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Over 140 third and fourth graders from the Penn Alexander School, Saint Francis DeSales School, and Beulah Christian Day School will spend a morning on the Penn campus "judging" hands-on science activities developed by students at Penn, including undergraduate Biological Basis of Behavior program majors and graduate students in neuroscience.

Write to Fight Cancer with David Tabatsky

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Write to Fight Cancer Author David Tabatsky is coming to Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital for the "Write to Fight Cancer" program, a free interactive expressive writing workshop. The event is open to all people affected by cancer (patients, survivors, caregivers, friends, etc.) and it will feature expert advice, writing exercises and discussion. David will help participants...

Penn Hospice Light Up a Life Events Honor Loved Ones During Holiday Season

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

The holidays can be difficult for those who have lost a loved one. This week, Penn Medicine will host its annual Light Up a Life ceremonies, to honor and remember family, friends, and loved ones who have passed, by lighting trees in their honor. Penn Wissahickon Hospice, a division of Penn Home Care and Hospice Services and part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, holds the...

Antibiotics for Acne Linked to Sore Throat, Penn Study Shows

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Oral antibiotics used to treat acne are linked to symptoms of sore throat, according to a study by researchers with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, published Online First in the Archives of Dermatology , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Penn Medicine Physicians Receive Five-Year, $7.5 Million Grant for Breast Cancer Screening Research from the National Cancer Institute

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

University of Pennsylvania researchers have received a five-year, $7.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to create the Penn Center for Innovation in Personalized Breast Cancer Screening (PCIPS), dedicated to studying emerging methods of breast cancer detection. The NCI funding will allow the team, led by Perelman School of Medicine faculty Katrina Armstrong, MD, MSCE, chief...

Form and Function: New MRI Technique Measures Brain Structure and Function to Diagnose or Rule Out Alzheimer's Disease

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

On the quest for safe, reliable and accessible tools to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found a new way of diagnosing and tracking Alzheimer's disease, using an innovative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique called Arterial spin labeling (ASL) to measure changes in brain function. The team...

More Green, Less Crime: Rehabilitating Vacant Lots Improves Urban Health and Safety, Penn Study Finds

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Greening of vacant urban land may affect the health and safety of nearby residents, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology this week. The team, led by senior author Charles C. Branas, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, found in a decade-long comparison of vacant lots and improved vacant...

National Study Shows Exercise Superior to Stents for Improving Walking Ability in PAD Patients

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Supervised exercise improves walking ability as good as, if not better than, stents in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to research released at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. The study is a joint collaboration from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Minnesota Medical School, Rhode...

Psoriasis is Associated with Impaired HDL Function, Penn Study Finds

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Collaborative research from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, especially if the psoriasis is moderate to severe. Now, Penn researchers have discovered the potential underlying mechanism by which the inflammatory skin disease impacts cardiovascular health. In two...

Pneumonia the Most Common Serious Infection After Heart Surgery

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown for the first time that pneumonia is the most common serious infection after heart surgery. The new study, presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, also revealed that most infections occur about two weeks after surgery, not one week as physicians previously thought.

Only a Third of U.S. State Police Agencies Equip Cars With AEDs, Penn Research Shows

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Just 30 percent the nation's state police agencies reported that they equip their vehicles with automated external defibrillators, and of those, nearly 60 percent of said only a minority of their fleet have the lifesaving devices on board, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented today at the American Heart...

Tip of the Iceberg: Genetic Screening in Yeast Reveals New Candidate Gene for Lou Gehrig''s Disease, Penn Study Finds

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig''s disease, is a universally fatal neurodegenerative disease. Mutations in two related proteins, TDP-43 and FUS, cause some forms of ALS. Specifically, these two proteins are RNA-binding proteins that connect to RNA to regulate the translation of proteins and other cellular functions such as RNA splicing and editing. In a new study, researchers...

Primary Care-based Weight Intervention Helps Obese Patients Reduce Weight, Penn Study Shows

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Can a visit to your primary care doctor help you lose weight? Primary care physicians, working with medical assistants in their practices, helped one group of their obese patients lose an average of 10.1 lb during a two-year lifestyle intervention, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their 10 lb weight loss was...

Non-Invasive Measurement Identified as a Strong Predictor for Heart Failure in the General Population, Penn Study Shows

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators at various institutions, presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, shows that a novel, non-invasive measurement of arterial wave reflections may be able to predict who is most at risk for heart failure. The authors presented data from an ancillary study...

Withdrawal of Care Among Cardiac Arrest in Patients Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia May Occur Too Soon, Penn Researchers Report

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Physicians may be making premature predictions about which patients are not likely to survive following cardiac arrest – and even withdrawing care -- before the window in which comatose patients who have received therapeutic hypothermia are most likely to wake up, according to two new studies from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The research helps to better...

In a Childhood Cancer, Basic Biology Offers Clues to Better Treatments

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

By studying tumor biology at the molecular level, researchers are gaining a deeper understanding of drug resistance - and how to avoid it by designing pediatric cancer treatments tailored to specific mutations in a child"s DNA. In a fruitful collaboration, pediatric oncologists and biochemists are targeting neuroblastoma, an often-deadly childhood cancer of the peripheral nervous system.

A More Flexible Window Into the Brain

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A team of researchers co-led by the University of Pennsylvania has developed and tested a new high-resolution, ultra-thin device capable of recording brain activity from the cortical surface without having to use penetrating electrodes. The device could make possible a whole new generation of brain-computer interfaces for treating neurological and psychiatric illness and research. The work was...

Can Twitter Save Lives?

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Discussion about cardiac arrest on Twitter is common and represents a new opportunity to provide lifesaving information to the public, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The Penn investigators will present two studies (ReSS Abstracts #52 and #53) examining cardiac arrest-information exchange on the social media site today at the...

Members of the Public Lack Skills, Confidence Necessary to Save Lives With CPR, Penn Researchers Report

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Even members of the lay public who have received CPR training are confused about how to perform the lifesaving skill and say they don't have confidence in their ability to do it properly, according to a study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania which will be presented today at the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions (Abstract #65).

Good Shepherd Penn Partners Opens 10th Outpatient Site - Outpatient Neurorehabilitation Now Available in Rittenhouse Area

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Good Shepherd Penn Partners (GSPP) today officially opened its 10th outpatient site, GSPP Penn Therapy and Fitness-Rittenhouse, at 1800 Lombard Street in Philadelphia. The 11,000-square-foot facility located on the first floor of Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse, offers orthopedic or sports medicine rehabilitation and specialized services for people with neurological issues such as stroke, brain...

Tales from the Crypt - Penn Study on Gut Cell Regeneration Reconciles Long-Standing Research Controversy

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

The lining of the intestine regenerates itself every few days as compared to say red blood cells that turn over every four months. The cells that help to absorb food and liquid that humans consume are constantly being produced. The various cell types that do this come from stem cells that reside deep in the inner recesses of the accordion-like folds of the intestines, called villi and crypts.

Penn Medicine at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 12 – 16, Orlando

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Resources for News Media Covering the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 12 – 16, 2011

The Story Behind the Science

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Doctors should consider the use of narrative -- in the form of patient stories and testimonials -- as a powerful tool for translating and communicating evidence-based policies to the public to buoy buy-in on important health issues such as cancer screenings and vaccination mandates, according to two physicians from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania writing this...

Penn Study Describes First Proof of Principle for Treating Rare Bone Disease

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Scientists at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders have developed a new genetic approach to specifically block the damaged copy of the gene for a rare bone disease, while leaving the normal copy untouched.

Penn Gastroenterologists Collaborate on $8 Million Barrett's Esophagus Translational Research Network

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

A research group at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, led by John Lynch, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, has received a National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant to establish a Barrett's esophagus translational research network (BETRNet) with Columbia University (led by Dr. Timothy Wang) and the Mayo Clinic (led by Dr....

First Bilateral Hand Transplant in the Region Performed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

For the first time in the Delaware Valley Region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate bilateral hand transplant that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss. The procedure was performed by Penn's Hand Transplant Program which operates under the leadership of the Penn Transplant Institute and in collaboration with Gift of Life Donor Program,...

Region''s First Bilateral Hand Transplant Performed at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

For the first time in the Delaware Valley Region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate transplant procedure that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss. In September, a highly-skilled, specially-trained team from the newly established Penn Hand Transplant Program at the Penn Transplant Institute performed its first bilateral hand transplant....

Linking Fragile X Syndrome Proteins and RNA Editing Mistakes at Nerve-Muscle Junction

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

The most common form of heritable cognitive impairment is Fragile X Syndrome, caused by mutation or malfunction of the FMR1 gene. Loss of FMR1 function is also the most common genetic cause of autism. Understanding how this gene works is vital to finding new treatments to help Fragile X patients and others.