Medical School News and Research

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Penn-led researchers gain better understanding of how T cells support long-lived plasma cells

If you've ever wondered how a vaccine given decades ago can still protect against infection, you have your plasma cells to thank. Plasma cells are long-lived B cells that reside in the bone marrow and churn out antibodies against previously encountered vaccines or pathogens.

22 Feb 2017

Scientists discover potent trigger of inflammatory disease

Institute scientists have revealed a potent inflammatory molecule released by dying cells triggers inflammation during necroptosis, a recently described form of cell death linked to inflammatory disease.

22 Feb 2017

Researchers explore ways to tamper reproductive events in dengue- and Zika-spreading mosquito

The mosquito Aedes aegypti, which can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, and yellow fever virus, requires a blood meal to develop eggs.

22 Feb 2017

Mouse model shows how chronic demyelination may cause seizures in MS patients

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects nearly 2.3 million people worldwide.

22 Feb 2017

Treating multiple myeloma with rabbit virus eliminates majority of malignant cells, study shows

Treating multiple myeloma (MM) with myxoma virus (MYXV) eliminated a majority of malignant cells in preclinical studies, report investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina and elsewhere in an article published online on December 7, 2016 by Molecular Therapy -- Oncolytics.

22 Feb 2017

New approach to generate high volume of hair cells may help restore full hearing

The loss of tiny, sound-sensing cells in the inner ear, known as "hair cells," is a leading cause of hearing loss, a public health problem affecting at least 5 percent of the world population.

22 Feb 2017

Simple, low-cost surgical instrument may expand use of minimally invasive surgery

In an era of spiraling health care cost concerns, a new $500 surgical instrument developed at the University of Michigan is vying to take the place of a $2 million robot for certain minimally invasive procedures.

22 Feb 2017

Smokers with existing illnesses more likely to use e-cigarettes, study finds

In the U.S. more than 16 million people with smoking-related illnesses continue to use cigarettes. According to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, current and former smokers who suffer from disease are more likely to have reported using an e-cigarette, meaning these patients may see e-cigarettes as safer or less harmful than combustible cigarettes and a way to reduce the risks posed by traditional smoking.

22 Feb 2017

Penn expert suggests shorter radiation treatment for men with prostate cancer

Men with prostate cancer can receive shorter courses of radiation therapy than what is currently considered standard, according to Justin Bekelman, MD, an associate professor of Radiation Oncology, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center.

22 Feb 2017

Studies show benefits and risks of testosterone treatment in older men

It is commonly known that testosterone levels decrease as men age, but until last year, little was known about the effects of testosterone treatment in older men with low testosterone.

21 Feb 2017

New model of cervical cancer care reduces delay between diagnosis and treatment

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for women low- and middle-income countries, including Botswana, where 75 percent of cervical cancer patients suffer from advanced forms of the disease.

21 Feb 2017

Former NFL players may not experience motor function problems from repeated head injuries, study finds

Former NFL players who had repeated head injuries may not have significant problems with motor functions later in life, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28, 2017.

20 Feb 2017

Penn researchers find new way to track rare T cells in blood after annual flu vaccine

For most vaccines to work the body needs two cell types - B cells and T helper cells - to make antibodies. B cells are the antibody factories and the T helper cells refine the strength and accuracy of antibodies to home and attack their targets.

20 Feb 2017

MU professor develops mandatory medical school curriculum about indigenous health

Of all racial minorities, Native Americans have the most dramatic health inequalities in the U.S., including significantly higher rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and substance abuse.

17 Feb 2017

Stem cells collected from fat more stable than previously thought, Penn study shows

Adult stem cells collected directly from human fat are more stable than other cells - such as fibroblasts from the skin - and have the potential for use in anti-aging treatments, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

17 Feb 2017

Lower vitamin D levels increase risk of clinical relapse in Ulcerative Colitis patients, study finds

A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has found that lower levels of vitamin D in the blood increase the risk of clinical relapse in patients with Ulcerative Colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers in the colon.

17 Feb 2017

Researchers explore how patients with COPD, heart failure and heart attack fared in ICU

Does a stay in the intensive care unit give patients a better chance of surviving a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure flare-up or even a heart attack, compared with care in another type of hospital unit? Unless a patient is clearly critically ill, the answer may be no, according to University of Michigan researchers who analyzed more than 1.5 million Medicare records.

17 Feb 2017

New method that detects NMD efficiency could help in treatment of many diseases

In cells, DNA is first converted to RNA, and RNA is next converted to proteins--a complicated process involving several other steps. Nonsense-mediated RNA decay is a processing pathway in cells that, like a broom, cleans up erroneous RNA to prevent its productive conversion into an aberrant protein, which could lead to disease.

17 Feb 2017

Researchers create novel model that reveals cellular, molecular events driving leukemia progression

Mount Sinai researchers have created a novel model that shows the step-by-step progression from normal blood cells to leukemia and its precursor diseases, creating replicas of the stages of the disease to test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions at each stage, according to a study to be published in Cell Stem Cell.

16 Feb 2017

New test could lead to early diagnosis and effective treatment of mild traumatic brain injury

A new test using peripheral vision reaction time could lead to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of mild traumatic brain injury, often referred to as a concussion, according to Peter J. Bergold, PhD, professor of physiology and pharmacology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and corresponding author of a study newly published online by the Journal of Neurotrauma.

16 Feb 2017

Medical School News and Research

Penn-led researchers gain better understanding of how T cells support long-lived plasma cells

Scientists discover potent trigger of inflammatory disease

Researchers explore ways to tamper reproductive events in dengue- and Zika-spreading mosquito

Mouse model shows how chronic demyelination may cause seizures in MS patients

Treating multiple myeloma with rabbit virus eliminates majority of malignant cells, study shows

New approach to generate high volume of hair cells may help restore full hearing

Simple, low-cost surgical instrument may expand use of minimally invasive surgery

Smokers with existing illnesses more likely to use e-cigarettes, study finds

Penn expert suggests shorter radiation treatment for men with prostate cancer

Studies show benefits and risks of testosterone treatment in older men

New model of cervical cancer care reduces delay between diagnosis and treatment

Former NFL players may not experience motor function problems from repeated head injuries, study finds

Penn researchers find new way to track rare T cells in blood after annual flu vaccine

MU professor develops mandatory medical school curriculum about indigenous health

Stem cells collected from fat more stable than previously thought, Penn study shows

Lower vitamin D levels increase risk of clinical relapse in Ulcerative Colitis patients, study finds

Researchers explore how patients with COPD, heart failure and heart attack fared in ICU

New method that detects NMD efficiency could help in treatment of many diseases

Researchers create novel model that reveals cellular, molecular events driving leukemia progression

New test could lead to early diagnosis and effective treatment of mild traumatic brain injury

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

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