Penn Faculty, Staff, and Students
Previous Announcements - 2005
2005: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
December 23, 2005
Mechanism for Epstein-Barr Virus Protein’s Role In Blood Cancers Discovered
Implications for New Therapeutic Targets for B Cell Lymphomas and Other EBV-Associated Illnesses
(Philadelphia, PA) - Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine identified a link between a critical cancer pathway and an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) protein known to be expressed in a number of EBV-associated cancers. Their findings demonstrated a new mechanism by which EBV can transform human B cells from the immune system into cancerous cells, which can lead to B-cell lymphomas. Now, they have found that the viral protein--called EBNA3C (for EBV nuclear antigen)--mediates the degradation of the retinoblastoma protein, an important molecular brake for cell proliferation.
» read more
December 22, 2005
Intensive Glucose Control Cuts Heart Disease Risk in Type 1 Diabetes
(Philadelphia, PA) - Intensive glucose control lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke by about 50 percent in people with type 1 diabetes, researchers report in the December 22, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Their findings are based on a follow-up study of patients who took part more than a decade ago in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), a major clinical study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with physicians from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), was one of 28 centers across the country that participated in the DCCT.
» read more
December 20, 2005
NIH on Tuesday announced the creation of a new web page that details the NIH awards process for research involving infectious agents and select agents, including submissions, awards, monitoring and oversight. The page also clarifies the processes and responsibilities for investigations of laboratory accidents, research-related illnesses and potential biosafety violations.
December 20, 2005
Penn Awarded $1 Million from Howard Hughes Medical Institute to Establish Clinical Imaging Training Program
(Philadelphia, PA) - The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine received $1 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to establish an integrated graduate training program in clinical imaging and information sciences. HHMI is partnering with the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) in this effort.
» read more
December 8, 2005
Penn's Center for Bioethics Launches Vaccine Ethics Project
Threat of Avian Flu Pandemic Highlights the Need for Ethical Guidelines
(Philadelphia, PA) - The Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine today
announced the beginning of an 18-month project to examine the field of vaccine development and use, and propose an ethical framework to
help guide researchers, pharmaceutical companies, public-health agencies, health-care providers, and citizens regarding
vaccines and their safe, effective, and ethical use.
» read more
December 1, 2005
Early Responders: Hair Follicle Stem Cells Contribute to Wound Healing, According to New Penn Study
Implications for Skin Problems Related to Diabetes and Other Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - Hair follicle stem cells are important contributors to the wound-healing process, according to new research by investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Using an animal model, the researchers discovered that stem cells in the hair follicle are enlisted to help heal wounds in the skin. This finding, published online in Nature Medicine last week, may suggest a therapeutic target for the development of drugs to encourage and promote wound healing.
» read more
December 1, 2005
Penn Nurses Receive Prestigious Award from International Honor Society of Nursing
(Philadelphia, PA) - Two nursing leaders from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) -- Jane Barnsteiner, RN, PhD, FAAN and Sarah Hope Kagan, RN, PhD, FAAN, -- are the honored recipients of Founders Awards from Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Honor Society of Nursing.
» read more
November 28, 2005
Raymond and Ruth Perelman Donate $25 Million to Name PENN Medicine's Center for Advanced Medicine
(Philadelphia, PA) - University of Pennsylvania alumnus Raymond G. Perelman and his wife, Ruth, have pledged $25 million to name PENN Medicine's Center for Advanced Medicine as The Raymond and Ruth Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. This state-of-the-art facility - part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System - will set a new standard for outpatient care in the specialty areas of cancer, cardiovascular medicine, and surgery.
» read more
November 28, 2005
Penn Vaccine Researcher Receives Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Freedom To Discover Research Grant
Carl June, MD, Awarded Half a Million Dollars to Study Cancer Immunotherapy and Design Patient-Specific Cancer Vaccines
(Philadelphia, PA) - Carl June, MD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Director of Translational Research at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center, was awarded the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Freedom to Discover Unrestricted Biomedical Research Grant. These five-year grants support pioneering, risk-taking, basic research scientists.
» read more
November 28, 2005
Homing In On HIV's Chromosome Target: AIDS Virus Inserts Into Human Genome Using a DNA-Associated Protein
Findings have implications for better-designed gene therapies
(Philadelphia, PA) - A human DNA-associated protein called LEDGF is the first such molecule found to control the location of HIV integration in human cells, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. This study, published in this week's early online edition of Nature Medicine, describes the first clear target for modulating where viruses insert into the human genome, which has implications for better design of gene-therapy delivery. Retroviral vectors are often used to introduce therapeutic genetic sequences into human chromosomes, such as in the delivery of Factor VIII for hemophilia patients.
» read more
November 22, 2005
PENN Medicine Receives $1 Million from NIH to Support Muscular Dystrophy Research
Penn Added to Prestigious Network of Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers
(Philadelphia, PA) - The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine is now one of only six Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers in the United States. The Center at Penn will be directed by H. Lee Sweeney, PhD, Chair of the Department of Physiology at Penn; and co-directed by Kathryn R. Wagner, MD, PhD, of The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
» read more
November 16, 2005
Invitation to Cover: Translating Discoveries About Diabetes Into Care
WHAT: In observance of American Diabetes Month, the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, and the PENN Rodebaugh Diabetes Center, invite you to attend an educational forum.
» read more
November 16, 2005
Penn School of Medicine Student Wins Basic Genetics Research Award
(Philadelphia, PA) - Nuo Yang, a PhD student in the lab of Haig H. Kazazian, Jr., MD, chair of the Department of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, recently received the Predoctoral Basic Research Award from the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG).
» read more
November 13, 2005
Penn Researcher Wins Awards From Two Major Cardiovascular Research Organizations
The American Heart Association and the Association of Black Cardiologists Both Present National
Awards to Dr. Shiriki Kumanyika
(Philadelphia, PA) - Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD, MPH, a Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and
Epidemiology at
the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has won the first-ever American Heart Association
Population Research
Prize. She received the prestigious national distinction for her continued tireless efforts in a career devoted to the
prevention of heart disease, stroke and related disorders.
» read more
November 7, 2005
RNA Splicing Occurs in Nerve-Cell Dendrites
Penn Discovery May Provide Better Understanding of Memory, Learning, and Diseases of Cognition
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that nerve-cell dendrites have the capacity to splice messenger RNA (pre-mRNA), a process once believed to only take place in the nucleus of cells. By uncovering this capability in dendrites, the investigators hope to relate this capacity to memory and learning, as well as cognitive dysfunction. Senior author James Eberwine, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology, and lead authors Kevin Miyashiro, and Jason Glanzer, PhD, both in Eberwine's lab, report their findings in this week's early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
» read more
November 3, 2005
Penn Researchers Study New Approach to Extend Lives of People with Deadliest Brain Tumors
Clinical trial participants may receive novel drug-delivery method that attacks remaining cancerous cells following surgical removal of tumors
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Health System are studying the effectiveness of a novel drug-delivery approach that attacks only cancerous cells in the brain to extend the lives of people with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of primary brain tumors. A highly malignant tumor that can double in size in 30 days, GBM infiltrates the normal brain tissue surrounding the tumor. Each year 10,000 Americans are diagnosed with GBMs, and the median survival time after detection is 12 months.
» read more
November 2, 2005
Invitation to Cover
WHAT: You're invited to a public lecture entitled, "Patient-specific human embryonic stem cells and their potential application." This seminar is part of the Gene Therapy & Vaccines Seminar Series at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
» read more
October 31, 2005
Three Penn School of Medicine Professors Named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(Philadelphia, PA) - Three faculty members of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine were named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) last week. Three other Penn faculty were also elected, bringing the total to six Penn professors in this year's list of 376 new members.
» read more
October 27, 2005
First Patient in the Philadelphia Area Receives New Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Offers the Only Implantable Device Specifically Indicated for Long-term Treatment of TRD
(Philadelphia, PA) - Today, Kim Gillies received the first VNS (vagus nerve stimulation) Therapy implant to be offered at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. At age 40, Gillies has suffered from severe depression that she says has caused her a "profound sense of exhaustion" for 27 years. She has tried numerous treatment options including psychotherapy, antidepressants and even electroconvulsive therapy with little success and says, "I hope that this therapy will help me get on with my life."
» read more
October 25, 2005
Four Penn School of Medicine Faculty Named to Institute of Medicine
(Philadelphia, PA) - Four faculty members from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine were elected yesterday to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Two other Penn faculty were also elected, bringing the total to six Penn professors in this year's list of 64 new members and five foreign associates.
» read more
October 21, 2005
Penn Researchers Lay Foundation for Herceptin's Most-Recent Promise
(Philadelphia, PA) - Yesterday three new studies were released describing the benefits of Herceptin, already used to treat advanced cancer, in fighting an aggressive form of early breast cancer. The results of these trials were so promising that the National Cancer Institute stopped the research ahead of schedule earlier this spring to make the findings public. Pioneering research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine over the last two decades has laid the foundation for these most-recent announcements.
» read more
October 20, 2005
Using T-Cell-Based Vaccines, Penn Researchers Achieve Rapid Restoration of Immunity in Immune-Suppressed Cancer Patients
Novel Approach Reduces the Time to Achieve Protective Levels of Immunity in Myeloma Patients by Nearly One Year
(Philadelphia, PA) - Patients with multiple myeloma suffer from a malignant proliferation of plasma cells in their bone marrow. The standard treatment for this form of cancer is high-dose chemotherapy and transplantation of one's own blood-producing adult stem cells; however, this aggressive treatment wipes out the mature immune-system cells of patients - leaving them vulnerable to infection.
» read more
October 17, 2005
Notch Signaling Molecule Important in Type 2 Immunity
Findings May Lead to New Treatments for Asthma and Other Inflammatory-Related Diseases
(Philadelphia, PA) - Defects in immune system cells called T helper cells may lead to diseases characterized by a faulty inflammatory response such as autoimmunity and asthma. Understanding the molecular steps involved in how T helper cells mature may help researchers develop treatments for these diseases.
» read more
October 17, 2005
Penn Study Finds Physically Abused Boys May Be More Likely to Commit Domestic Violence As Adults
Most Abuse of Boys Done by Parents ... Most Frequently Mothers
(Philadelphia, PA) - According to a study in the October 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, a history of childhood physical abuse may be common in men from urban settings, and these men with physical abuse histories may be more likely to commit domestic violence. The study found that the childhood abuse was primarily committed by parents, with mothers being the most frequent abusers.
» read more
October 14, 2005
Penn Virologist Edits Comprehensive Book on Epstein-Barr Virus
Findings may help elucidate mechanisms of wake-sleep transitions and epileptic seizures
(Philadelphia, PA) - Erle S. Robertson, PhD, an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has edited a compendium, the largest to date, on the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The 33-chapter, 770-page review is entitled simply Epstein-Barr Virus. The book is published by Caister/Horizon Academic Press. This is the first volume of its kind dealing solely with Epstein-Barr virus and is expected to be the reference guide for all major works on the virus.
» read more
October 11, 2005
Penn Study Finds Direct Role for Glial Cells in Brain Cross-talk
Findings may help elucidate mechanisms of wake-sleep transitions and epileptic seizures
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have demonstrated that star-shaped glial cells in the brain called astrocytes are directly involved in regulating communication between neurons. A central finding of the study is that astrocytes modulate the level of a signaling molecule called adenosine, which is thought to be important in controlling wake-to-sleep transitions and epileptic seizures.
» read more
October 10, 2005
Penn Psychologist to Provide Tsunami-Survivor Training
Psychiatrists and psychologists from Thailand and Indonesia will learn how to train professionals in their countries to treat post-traumatic stress disorder
(Philadelphia, PA) - Edna B. Foa, PhD, Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, will conduct training on responding to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for a group of nine mental health professionals from the region affected by the tsunami of December 2004. The training will take place from October 5 to October 18, 2005 at the Penn School of Medicine.
» read more
October 7, 2005
Penn Expert Elected President of National Bioethics Organization
Bioethics authority to head field's primary association
(Philadelphia, PA) - Paul Root Wolpe, PhD, Senior Fellow at the Center for Bioethics and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has been elected the President of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH). The ASBH is the national professional organization for scholars in bioethics and the medical humanities.
» read more
October 5, 2005
Penn Epidemiologists Become Part of Federal Program to Research Making Better Treatment Decisions
(Philadelphia, PA) - The Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), within the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has become part of the new Effective Health Care Program, within the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The program was launched last week to help clinicians and patients determine which drugs and other medical treatments work best for certain health conditions.
» read more
September 30, 2005
Expert Advisory: Penn Researcher Calls for Greater Emphasis on Translational Medicine and Therapeutics to Transform the Future of Drug Development
(Philadelphia, PA) - Today marks the one-year anniversary since the withdrawal of Merck's Vioxx from the market due to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In the wake of this announcement, the pharmaceutical industry, and hence future drug development, has since been in a state of upheaval. Garret FitzGerald, MD, Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, proposes that by more seamlessly merging basic science with clinical research, barriers to the development of new medicines could be diminished. He outlines his ideas in an article entitled, "Anticipating change in drug development: the emerging era of translational medicine and therapeutics," in the October issue of Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.
» read more
September 21, 2005
Tissue Stiffness Drives Tumor Formation
Paying attention to the mechanical forces that regulate cell growth is important to understanding tumorogenesis
(Philadelphia, PA) - The relationship between tissue rigidity and tumor formation is fairly well established; however, what is not so well understood is what happens on a molecular level that contributes to such stiffness. Now, for the first time, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have shown that tumor formation is generated by a complex interaction of both mechanical as well as chemical signals, and the resulting tissue stiffening induces molecular signals that promote the cancerous behavior of cells.
» read more
September 19, 2005
Penn Researchers Discover A Molecular Pathway That Leads to Recurrence of Breast Cancer
Study May Help Find Ways to Prevent Recurrence
(Philadelphia, PA) - Using a recently developed mouse model of breast cancer, a team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has shown that Snail, a molecule normally important in embryonic development, can promote breast cancer recurrence. They also found that high Snail expression predicts more rapid tumor recurrence in women who have been treated for breast cancer. These observations suggest that Snail may represent a target for cancer therapy.
» read more
September 14, 2005
Breast Tumors in Mice Eradicated Using Cancer Vaccine
Findings Could Lead To New Immune Therapy for Breast Cancer
(Philadelphia, PA) - A team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has shown that by using a cancer vaccine based on the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, they can cure mice with established breast tumors.
» read more
September 8, 2005
Penn Awarded $1.8 Million to Search for New Mood-Disorder Drugs, in a Collaboration With Wyeth Research Laboratories
(Philadelphia, PA) - The National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) has awarded the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine $1.8 million over the next three years to establish a National Cooperative Drug Discovery Group for the Treatment of Mood Disorders (NCDDG-MD). This group is comprised of researchers from the Center for Neurobiology at Penn and the Neuroscience Discovery Department at Wyeth Research Laboratories, Princeton N.J. The aim of this National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored academic-industry collaboration is to develop new antidepressant drug treatments based on the role of neurogenesis (the production of new neurons) in regulating stress and depression.
» read more
September 6, 2005
Stephen M. Hahn, MD, Named Chair of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
(Philadelphia, PA) - Stephen M. Hahn, MD, has been named the new Chair and Henry K. Pancoast Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
» read more
August 24, 2005
Neurotransmitter Orexin Associated With Pleasure and Reward Pathways in the Brain, in Addition to Functions in Sleep and Appetite
Newly Discovered Role Could Be Basis for Novel Drug Addiction Treatments
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that the recently identified neurotransmitter orexin (also known as hypocretin) influences reward processing by activating neurons in the lateral hypothalamus region of the brain. By identifying the relationship between orexin neurons and behaviors associated with reward seeking, drug relapse, and addiction, researchers hope to find new treatments for drug addiction.
» read more
August 23, 2005
Penn Study Finds a New Role for RNA in Human Immune Response
Findings Could Lead To New Types of Therapeutic RNAs for Cancer, Genetic Diseases
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have published the first study to test the role of RNA chemical modifications on immunity. They have demonstrated that RNA from bacteria stimulates immune cells to orchestrate destruction of invading pathogens. Most RNA from human cells is recognized as being self and does not stimulate an immune response to the same extent as invading bacteria or viruses. The researchers hypothesize that if this self-recognition fails, then autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus could result.
» read more
August 22, 2005
Electronic Database Studies May Not Accurately Estimate Risk of Heart Attack Among Users of Naproxen, Ibuprofen
Epidemiological Survey Study Links Heart Protection With Non-aspirin, Non-steroidal Drugs
(Philadelphia, PA) - It is well known that aspirin, a non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX), reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. Non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NANSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen may reduce this same risk, but studies have shown conflicting results. Some have shown no association between NANSAIDs and heart attacks; some have shown an increased risk; and others have suggested a lower risk of heart attack, particularly with naproxen.
» read more
August 19, 2005
NEW: SPIN Plus Classes!
The Office of Research Program Development is pleased to invite you to their newly offered hands-on training for SPIN Plus.
This class will teach Faculty and Researchers how to:
- Identify new funding opportunities available through federal as well as non-governmental sources
- Set up a customized list of individualized research interests that can match funding opportunities as they occur; and
- Set up individualized accounts that will result in e-mail alerts as funding opportunities, matching research interests, arise.
You will leave this 1 hour workshop as a registered user with email notifications sent on a daily basis, and you will be able to easily modify the parameters of your search at any time.
The first two workshops will take place on September 19, 2005 in the Finance Training Lab in Anatomy/ Chemistry 202. Session I: 9:15-10:15, and Session II: 10:45-11:45. Registration will be FIRST COME FIRST SERVED with later classes serving the overflow.
To register for this class, please contact Adrienne Larmett at 573-5817 or Larmett@mail.med.upenn.edu .
August 18, 2005
Otter Adaptations: How Do Otters Remain Sleek and Warm
Or, What One Cell Biologist Does Away From the Bench
(Philadelphia, PA) - Otters cavorting in the water is a scene with which we're all familiar. Yet, unlike many other mammals that spend a considerable amount of time in the water -- polar bears, seals, dolphins, and whales -- river otters do not have a thick layer of body fat to keep warm. They rely, instead, on a few unique adaptations; namely, their fur and the densely packed layer of specially adapted underhairs.
» read more
August 17, 2005
Stopping Killer "Bubbles" -- PENN Surgeons Are Now Using and Teaching a Novel Stent-Deployment Device to Barricade Deadly Aneurysms
(Philadelphia, PA) - Bill Tinker used to drive only in the right-hand lane, fearful that at any moment the large aneurysm in his chest would burst and he'd have a few mere seconds to safely get his car to the side of the road. He didn't want to kill anyone else while he quickly died from internal bleeding.
The Embreeville (Chester County, PA) resident lived in this constant state of fear for nearly five years before the GORE TAG Device let him truly live again.
» read more
August 15, 2005
Penn Study Finds No Relationship Between Elevated C8 Levels and Liver or Thyroid Abnormalities
Highest C8 Levels Found in the Very Young and Eldest
At a community meeting this evening in Vincent, Ohio, Edward A. Emmett, MD, Professor of Occupational & Environmental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, presented the health-related results of an independent, epidemiological study led by him to investigate C8 levels in the blood of residents of southeastern Ohio. Specifically, Emmett and his colleagues reported no relationship between elevated C8 levels and blood-test results that would indicate liver damage or a history of liver disease (including cirrhosis, hepatitis, and any other liver condition), or thyroid damage or a history of thyroid disease.
» read more
August 9, 2005
Penn Physician Urges Revision of HIV-Testing Policies
Revision Would Improve Care for Critically Ill Patients
(Philadelphia, PA) - In a commentary piece in the August 10th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, calls for a revision of existing state laws so that HIV-testing may be carried out when patients are not able to give their direct consent for such testing. The paper is entitled, "HIV Testing without Consent in Critically Ill Patients."
» read more
August 2, 2005
Master Regulatory Gene Found That Guides Fate of Blood-Producing Stem Cells
Discovery May Lead to New Therapies For Leukemia, Other Blood Disorders
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that a protein called NF-Ya activates several genes known to regulate the development of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), or blood-producing stem cells, in bone marrow. Knowing the details of this pathway may one day lead to new treatments for such blood diseases as leukemia, as well as a better understanding of how HSCs work in the context of bone-marrow and peripheral-stem-cell transplantation. The authors published their findings in the early August issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
» read more
August 2, 2005
Penn Researchers Discover Key to How SARS Virus Infects Cells
Inhibitors of Cellular Enzymes Could Be Developed for SARS Treatment
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that inhibitors of an enzyme called cathepsin L prevent the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus from entering target cells. SARS is caused by an emergent coronavirus. There is no effective treatment at this time.
» read more
July 27, 2005
Penn Named a "Breast Cancer Center of Excellence" By Department of Defense
$10 Million Awarded to Study Breast Cancer Progression
To Develop More Effective Therapies
(Philadelphia, PA) - The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has been named a Breast Cancer
Center of
Excellence by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. This designation, which includes a five-year, $10
million grant to Lewis A. Chodosh, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator and Director of this Center of
Excellence, establishes
Penn as one of only 14 such sites in the United States. The Center represents a multidisciplinary approach to
understanding breast cancer progression using genetically engineered mouse models and state-of-the art non-invasive
imaging techniques.
» read more
July 8, 2005
Mood Lighting: Penn Researchers Determine Role of Serotonin in Modulating Circadian Rhythm
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have determined
how serotonin
decreases the body's sensitivity to light and that exposure to constant darkness leads to a decrease in serotonin levels
in the brain of fruit flies. These findings suggest that serotonin may play a role in maintaining circadian rhythm, as
well as modulating light-related disorders such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Senior author Amita Sehgal,
PhD, Professor of Neuroscience at Penn and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator, and colleagues
report th$
findings in the July 7 issue of Neuron.
» read more
July 7, 2005
Three Penn Researchers Receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
(Philadelphia, PA) - Three researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have been named among 58 of the nation's
most promising young scientists and engineers by President Bush with the 2004 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists
and Engineers. Marija Drndic, of Penn's School of Arts and Sciences and Tejvir Khurana and Kevin
G. Volpp, both of Penn's School of Medicine, were honored at a ceremony June 13 at the White
House.
» read more
July 6, 2005
Notch Protein Signaling Directs Early T-Cell Development
A Better Grasp of Immune Cell Lineages May Improve Outcomes for Transplant, Other Immunosuppressed Patients
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have recently
clarified the role of the Notch protein in T-cell development. T cells are required for many aspects of immunity, including
fightin$
viral infections, providing cancer surveillance, and regulating multiple aspects of the immune response.
» read more
July 1, 2005
Penn Receives $9.5 Million Grant from NIH as Part of National Screening Network to Discover Active Molecules
(Philadelphia, PA) - The University of Pennsylvania is receiving $9.5 million from the National Institutes of Health
during the next three years to establish the Penn Center for Molecular Discovery. The Penn team will screen the
NIH repository of small molecules to discover new biological interactions.
» read more
July 1, 2005
Michael T. Mennuti, MD, Named President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
(Philadelphia, PA) - Michael T. Mennuti, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has been named the 56th President of The American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), based in Washington, DC. His inauguration took place during ACOG's Annual Clinical
Meeting held recently in San Francisco.
» read more
June 30, 2005
American Philosophical Society Announces Daland Fellowship in Clinical Investigation and the Judson Daland Prize for Achievement in Clinical Research
Eligibility for the Fellowship extends to eight years beyond the M.D. degree. Applications are due September 1, 2005.
The amount of the Prize is $20,000, and the deadline for prize nominations is March 15, 2006.
All information and forms are available at the website, www.amphilsoc.org.
» Daland Fellowship Flyer (pdf)
» Judson Daland Prize Flyer (pdf)
June 24, 2005
Nicotine Triggers the Same Brain Reward Circuitry as Opiates
(Philadelphia, PA) - In experiments with mice, researchers have found that nicotine triggers the same neural pathways that give opiates such as heroin their addictively rewarding properties including associating an environment with the drug's reward. However, unlike opiates, nicotine does not directly activate the brain's opiate receptors, but activates the natural opioid reward pathway in the brain.
» read more
June 23, 2005
"Laser Tweezers" Permit Penn Researchers to Describe Microscopic Mechanical Properties of Blood Clots
A Better Understanding of Clot Physiology Can Lead to More Effective Therapies
(Philadelphia, PA) - For the first time ever, using "laser tweezers," the mechanical properties of an individual fiber in a blood clot have been determined by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Their work, led by John W. Weisel, PhD, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at Penn, and published in this week's early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides a basis for understanding how the elasticity of the whole clot arises.
» read more
June 8, 2005
Penn's School of Medicine Ranked #2 in Nation for NIH Research Awards
Record $393.6 Million Received; Up 9.4% from Prior Year
(Philadelphia, PA) - According to figures released today from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine ranks #2 in the nation in terms of total research awards to academic medical schools in the United States. For Fiscal Year 2004, Penn received 947 total awards -- including research and training grants -- worth more than $393.6 million. This total represents a 9.4% increase from the previous year. The NIH is the single largest source of funding for biomedical research and training in the nation, and their annual rankings are considered an important barometer of research strength.
» read more
June 7, 2005
Penn Researchers Discover Mutation in Mouse Circulatory Gene That Mimics A Form of Congenital Heart Disease
(Philadelphia, PA) - Mutations in a critical gene that controls heart and blood vessel development in mouse embryos mimics a type of congenital heart disease in humans, according to new research led by Michael S. Parmacek, MD , Director of the Penn Cardiovascular Institute at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Congenital heart disease (CHD) occurs in approximately one in one hundred newborn infants. Knowing the basic genetic causes of congenital heart disease will allow for the development of CHD prenatal diagnosis, as well as treatments to prevent or correct infant and adult heart disease.
» read more
May 31, 2005
Penn Study Documents Access to Trauma Centers
in the United States
Findings show that 84% of US residents are within
one hour of a trauma center
(Philadelphia, PA) - A study led by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers has, for
the first time, determined access to trauma centers at the national level. The study found that about 70 percent and 84
percent of all US residents had access to a Level I or Level II Trauma Center within 45 and 60 minutes, respectively. Most
of the roughly 46.7 million Americans who had no access within an hour live in rural areas. The study's results are
reported in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
» read more
May 24, 2005
Penn Study Points to New Evidence to Explain How COX-2 Inhibitors Can Eventually Lead to Heart Disease and Stroke
(Philadelphia, PA) - University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine researchers have found additional evidence that may help explain how selective inhibitors of COX-2
might predispose individuals to heart disease and stroke. In Circulation Research, they report that a COX-2-derived fatty
substance - a prostaglandin called prostacyclin - controls the blood-vessel response to stresses such as high-blood
pressure, thereby further linking COX-2 inhibitors to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. This knowledge, along
with a growing literature on physiological responses to COX-2 inhibitors, should help in the development of a rational
approach to clinical risk management for this class of drugs.
» read more
May 19, 2005
Disease Progression Model of Pancreatic Cancer Developed by Penn Researchers
(Philadelphia, PA) - Building on previous work, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine have
developed an animal model of pancreatic cancer that closely mimics disease progression in humans. From this, they hope to
develop new treatments for this deadly disease. Advanced pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal of cancers, with a
one-year survival rate after chemotherapy of only 17 to 28 percent of patients, according to the National Cancer
Institute.
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May 12, 2005
Penn Study Shows Liver Receptor Key to Diet-Dependent Differences in Blood Lipid Levels
Receptor Can, When Overly Abundant, Adjust for the Consequences of a High-Fat Diet
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that a molecule found in liver cells is an important link in explaining the relationship among diet, lipid levels in blood, and atherosclerosis. The research team surmises that drugs targeted at the liver may one day help lower elevated lipids and battle cardiovascular disease. Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at Penn, and colleagues report their findings in the May 2005 issue of Cell Metabolism.
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May 6, 2005
Penn Epidemiologist To Be Given Young Alumnus Award by the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Sean Hennessey, PharmD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and of Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, will receive the Young Alumnus Award for 2005 from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia on May 7, 2005. The award is bestowed annually upon an alumnus who has received his or her degree within the last 15 years and who has contributed to their profession, science and/or humankind in an outstanding way.
"My years at the University of the Sciences were very special to me," says Hennessey. "USP has a truly outstanding faculty of tremendously dedicated and caring professors. I'm genuinely thrilled to be recognized by such a terrific institution."
Dr. Hennessey received his BS and PharmD from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (now the University of the Sciences). He received his MSCE in 1996 from the Penn School of Medicine and his PhD in 2002 from the University of Pennsylvania.
His career focus is pharmacoepidemiology, the study of the use and effects of medications in populations. Within this field, Dr. Hennessey has performed many studies of adverse and beneficial drug effects. For example, he has studied drug causes of sudden cardiac death and venous thromboembolism caused by oral contraceptives.
In addition to his research, Dr. Hennessey teaches clinical epidemiology to graduate students and physicians-in-training, and directs an award-winning program within the University of Pennsylvania Health System to improve outpatient medication use.
May 4, 2005
Keeping Cancer in Check
Penn Researchers Demonstrate that a Metabolic Enzyme Works Through the Tumor-Suppressor Protein p53 to Control Cellular Replication
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified in normal cells that a common metabolic enzyme, which acts as a rheostat of cellular conditions, also controls cell replication. This control is managed through p53, the much-studied protein implicated in many types of cancer. The discovery of the interaction between these two molecules may lead to new ways to fight cancer. First author Russell G. Jones, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of senior author Craig Thompson, MD , at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at Penn , and colleagues describe their findings in the most recent issue of Molecular Cell.
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April
April 18, 2005
Penn Researchers Determine Structure of Binding Site of Colon-Cancer Drug and Its Protein Target
Finding Will Steer Future Treatment Design
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have determined the precise molecular details of how Erbitux, a recently approved colorectal cancer drug, binds to its target on cancer cells. Knowing this chemical configuration will lead to better drug design for this family of cancer medications.
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April 14, 2005
Of Mice and Men's (and Women's) Contraceptives:
Study of Unique Reproductive-Cell Protein in Mice Could Lead to New Contraceptives for Women and Men
(Philadelphia, PA) - Mice lacking a special protein found only in germ-line cells results in infertility in both males and females, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Norman Hecht, PhD, Professor of Human Reproduction in Penn's Center for Research in Reproduction and Women's Health, and colleagues say that these investigations point the way to a new type of contraceptive for both men and women. They report their findings in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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April 6, 2005
Expert Advisory
Commentary on Over-the-Counter Availability for Statins
(Philadelphia, PA) - In the April 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, analyzes the general pros and cons of moving drugs from prescription to over-the-counter (OTC) status. More specifically, given many considerations, such as compliance, cost, and monitoring of side effects, Strom contends that it was sensible for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to decline - for a second time - the pharmaceutical industry's bid for OTC statins.
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April 5, 2005
Request for Proposals: April 28 - Provost's Interdisciplinary Seminar Fund
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March
March 30, 2005
First Mouse Model for Multiple System Atrophy Points to New Treatment Targets for Brain Diseases
(Philadelphia, PA) - A newly developed animal model for Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) - a collection of
neurodegenerative disorders once thought to be three separate diseases - sheds new light on this little-studied brain
disease, according to research from investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
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March 22, 2005
McCabe Fund Junior Faculty Awards Deadline May 31, 2005
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March 15, 2005
Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Crucial To Its Role In Blood Cancers
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a link between a critical cancer pathway and an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) protein known to be expressed in a number of EBV-associated cancers. Their findings demonstrate a new mechanism by which EBV transforms human B cells from the immune system into cancerous cells, which can lead to development of B-cell lymphomas.
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March 10, 2005
New Class of Tuberculosis-Fighting Antibiotics Suggested By Biochemical-Pathway Study
(Philadelphia, PA) - A worldwide health problem, tuberculosis kills more people than any other bacterial infection. The World Health Organization estimates that two billion people are infected with TB, and that two million people die each year from the disease.
However, due to multi-drug resistance and a protracted medication regimen, it is extremely difficult to treat. Hence, there is still a great deal of interest in developing new anti-tubercular drugs. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a biochemical target that could lead to a new class of antibiotics to fight TB. They report their findings in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
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March 2, 2005
Potential Treatment for Fragile X Syndrome Demonstrated in Fruit Fly Model
(Philadelphia, PA) - Fragile X Syndrome is one of the most commonly inherited forms of mental retardation, with an incidence
of 1 in 4,000 males and 1 in 8,000 females. Not many medications exist to help Fragile X patients. Now, in a fruit fly
model of the disease, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and their colleagues have shown
that it is possible to reverse some of the symptoms of the disorder using drugs that dampen specific neuronal
overactivity. Their findings appear in the March 3, 2005 issue of Neuron.
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February
February 4, 2005
NIH Kirschstein-NRSA Stipend Increase
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January
January 27, 2005
Penn Study Shows How Next-Generation Diabetic Drugs Could Work More Selectively
Understanding Molecular Double Action of TZDs to Reduce Side Effects
(Philadelphia, PA) - In an attempt to find a new generation of diabetic drugs that will minimize side
effects, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report a new understanding of how
thiazolidinediones (TZDs), widely used diabetic medications, work in fat cells. With yearly sales exceeding billions of
dollars, TZDs -- such as rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia) and pioglitazone hydrochloride (Actos) -- help to maintain
diabetics' blood-sugar levels.
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January 18, 2005
PENN Study Emphasizes Need for National Guidelines for Assisted Reproductive Technology Programs
(Philadelphia, PA) - Infertility prevents roughly 6.1 million people in the United States from having children. As a result, infertile individuals and couples commonly seek to become parents through assisted reproductive technology (ART). Since 1981, approximately 177,000 babies have been born via ART, and, in one year alone (2000), some 100,000 cycles of ART were attempted, resulting in 60,253 live births. Beyond the factors of infertility and a candidate's ability to afford treatment, little is known about the qualifications that ART programs use to determine a candidate's eligibility for parenthood. This raises the question: Should there be guidelines to determine who should be eligible to use this technology for reproduction?
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January 17, 2005
Penn Researchers Add More Evidence to Demonstrate Role of COX Inhibitors in Heart-Disease Risk
(Philadelphia, PA) - In two articles, published in Circulation, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine provide further evidence for the role of cyclooxygenases (COX) in heart-disease risk. In one, a statistical meta-analysis of two placebo-controlled trials, the COX-2 inhibitor Bextra elevated the combined incidence of heart attack and stroke three-fold in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients. In the second, the investigators found that a fat produced by COX-1 speeds hardening of the arteries in a mouse model of atherosclerosis, which may have implications for low-dose aspirin therapy in heart patients.
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January 13, 2005
Penn Announces Creation of Three New Biomedical Institutes
Harnessing over $100 Million in Research Funding to Create a New Template for Research, Education, and Patient Care
(Philadelphia, PA) - The University of Pennsylvania today announces the establishment of three new biomedical institutes aimed at integrating research, clinical, and educational missions in a new model of care that cuts across traditional academic disciplinary and departmental lines.
The new entities are the Penn Cardiovascular Institute; the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism; and the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics.
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January 10, 2005
Penn Study May Lead the Way for First Medication to Treat Cocaine Addiction
Breakout Data Suggests a Wake-Promoting Agent Promotes Cocaine Abstinence
(Philadelphia, PA) - Cocaine dependence is a major public health problem affecting thousands of people around the globe. Despite years of active research there are still no approved medications for the treatment of this life-shattering addiction. Researchers are now hopeful that may soon change based on the results of a controlled study done at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine . The study's findings can be found in the January issue of Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology and on-line at www.neuropsychopharmacology.org
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January 10, 2005
New Modular Workbooks
WORKBOOK NOW UPDATED FOR LATEST NIH SALARY CAP (JANUARY 2005) AND FRINGE BENEFIT RATES (FISCAL YEAR 2005)
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January 7, 2005
The NIH salary cap has been increased to $180,100.
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January 4, 2005
Penn Researchers Find that Residual Tumor Cells are a Barrier to Targeted Cancer Therapeutics
(Philadelphia, PA) - Over the past five years, so-called molecularly targeted therapies for cancer have held out great promise. These therapies are based on blocking a cancer-causing genetic pathway that has been turned on in a tumor, thereby allowing it to proliferate and grow in an uncontrolled manner. For a small number of cancers, chronic treatment with molecularly targeted therapies has been shown to be effective in the clinic - at least in the short-term. Recently, based on animal models, several investigators have proposed that chronic treatment - possibly even brief treatment - with molecularly targeted therapies might eliminate cancers. Curing cancers with short-term treatment, however, contrasts sharply with clinical experience with cancer patients, say Penn researchers. This suggests that tumors often become resistant to therapy by finding a way around the genetic blockade.
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January 4, 2005
Study of Hypoxia and New Gene Reveals Early-Stage Action of p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene
(Philadelphia, PA) - Researchers have known for a decade that the p53 tumor suppressor gene is important for killing cells as they proliferate under low-oxygen conditions inside tumors. As tumors grow they outstrip their oxygen supply. If a cell has a normal p53 gene, the p53 protein will eliminate cancerous cells, keeping tumor growth at bay. U nder conditions of stress to the cell - such as radiation or chemotherapy and hypoxia - p53 normally eliminates tumors.
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