Medicine | Penn Today

A chip with asthma cells being held up in a dark, neon-colored laboratory environment

Examining asthma with human lung-on-a-chip technology

Researchers at Penn Engineering developed an ‘asthma-on-a-chip’ system that mimics the mechanical stresses experienced by human airways during an asthma attack. The innovation enables scientists to probe how unhealthy lung tissue responds to compression in ways previously impossible to observe directly in patients.

2 min. read

New mRNA vaccine platform could expand global vaccine access

A Penn Medicine-created vaccine platform swaps out lipid nanoparticles with a different kind of nanoparticle to simplify manufacturing, making the vaccines easier and more cost-effective to produce, transport, store, and distribute.

Finding cell subgroups could spur retinal cell transplant success

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine have uncovered a new understanding of retinal cell development which may help pave the way for future retina transplants, and could restore sight to people whose conditions currently have no effective treatments.

Molecular mechanics behind heart cell restructuring revealed

Two new Penn Medicine studies show that microtubules help determine how the heart changes shape under stress, and a common signaling pathway acts as a key controller of where the building materials for these cells’ growth are delivered inside them; the findings point to possible new ways to address causes of heart failure.

New CAR T treatment opens doors for kidney patients

An early Penn Medicine trial demonstrates CAR T cells can safely desensitize even the most challenging transplant candidates.

2 min. read

Mass. has new limits on insurers’ much-hated prior authorizations. Here’s what to know

“For providers, there will still be a substantial amount of uncertainty and administrative burden related to prior authorization” because of the differing rules based on insurance type, says Aaron Schwartz of the Perelman School of Medicine.

GLP-1 use linked to lower breast cancer incidence in large cohort study

A retrospective analysis of more than 110,000 women between the ages of 45 and 80 found that those who take GLP-1 medications are about 30% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who do not take GLP-1 medications.

2 min. read

A Philly man didn’t know if he’d ever get off the kidney transplant waiting list. CAR T made it happen

“Since its first use in a 2010 clinical trial involving leukemia patients at Penn, efforts to broaden CAR-T’s applications have advanced slowly. The therapy has not proven effective against solid cancers, although some studies have shown potential.”

Nurses practice how to talk to patients about properly storing medications

To deliver hospital-level care at home, practice makes perfect

Years of planning come to fruition as Penn Medicine’s Hospital at Home teams test run a new era of patient care devoted to better outcomes and fewer readmissions.

2 min. read

AI and healthcare innovation: Design with us, not just for us

In May, Penn Washington partnered with the Penn Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Healthy Aging and Penn Nursing to examine the use of Artificial Intelligence tools to support aging and improve the quality of life of older adults and their families, including persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

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Examining asthma with human lung-on-a-chip technology

New mRNA vaccine platform could expand global vaccine access

Finding cell subgroups could spur retinal cell transplant success

Molecular mechanics behind heart cell restructuring revealed

New CAR T treatment opens doors for kidney patients

Mass. has new limits on insurers’ much-hated prior authorizations. Here’s what to know

GLP-1 use linked to lower breast cancer incidence in large cohort study

A Philly man didn’t know if he’d ever get off the kidney transplant waiting list. CAR T made it happen

To deliver hospital-level care at home, practice makes perfect

AI and healthcare innovation: Design with us, not just for us