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Health Sciences
How humans evolved a super-high cooling capacity
The higher density of sweat glands in humans is due, to a great extent, to accumulated changes in a regulatory region of DNA that drives the expression of a sweat gland-building gene, explaining why humans are the sweatiest of the Great Apes.
The immune link between a leaky blood-brain barrier and schizophrenia
Research from the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia points to the involvement of the immune system the brain as a contributor to mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
Racial, gender, and socioeconomic factors linked to likelihood of getting diabetes treatment
Penn Medicine researchers show Black, Asian, female, and lower-income patients with diabetes receive less sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors compared with overall trends.
Mysterious ‘nuclear speckle’ cell structures may help block cancers
A new study out of Penn Medicine shows that the tumor-suppressor protein p53 brings speckles and DNA together to boost gene expression.
Gene therapy shows promise in initial trial for patients with childhood blindness
Penn Medicine researchers delivered working copies of the gene GUCY2D to the eyes of patients with severe vision impairments.
Study suggests those who had COVID-19 may only need one vaccine dose
People who have recovered from COVID-19 had a robust antibody response after the first mRNA vaccine dose, therefore only a single dose may be needed to produce a sufficient antibody response, according to new research from the Penn Institute of Immunology.
Medication access for opioid use disorder lower among those in criminal justice system
Penn Medicine research finds Medicaid expansion helps increase access to medications for opioid use disorder, but limitations exist to broadening access.
Penn Medicine awarded nearly $7 million to study influenza viruses
Penn Medicine is one of five institutions in the U.S. chosen by the National Institutes of Health as a Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response to improve pandemic preparedness.
Cancer cell therapy pioneer Carl June receives the Sanford Lorraine Cross Award
The Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center received the award for his work in developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.
With impressive accuracy, dogs can sniff out coronavirus
In a proof-of-concept study led by the School of Veterinary Medicine, dogs identified positive samples with 96% accuracy.
In the News
What’s going on with tranq?
Jeanmarie Perron of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the appearance and progression of skin ulcers and tissue loss on xylazine users is different than with other intravenous drugs.
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It’s time to end the Medicare-Medicaid merry-go-round
In an opinion essay, Rachel M. Werner of the Leonard Davis Institute, Wharton School, and Perelman School of Medicine says that Medicare and Medicaid fail to integrate coverage and coordinate care across their two plans.
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The quest for treatments to keep weight off after Ozempic
Researchers at Penn are conducting a co-authored study of the brains, fat and muscle cells, and eating patterns of people trying to maintain new body sizes.
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Inside Penn’s transfer center
Penn Medicine’s transfer command center gets patients from affiliated hospitals and hospitals outside Philadelphia to specialized care that can save lives, with comments from CEO Kevin Mahoney.
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Operating rooms are major sources of greenhouse gasses. Penn is eliminating a form of anesthesia that hangs in the air for more than a decade after use
Penn Medicine is phasing out the anesthesia desflurane at four of its six hospitals to eliminate harmful greenhouse gases, with remarks from Greg Evans.
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