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Gun-related homicide rates in states with strict gun laws increase when neighboring states have less restrictive laws as a result of gun trafficking across state lines, suggests a new study from Penn Medicine. A review of gun tracing data also revealed that 65 percent of the guns recovered in the most restrictive states originated from other states.

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Laws that require landlords to disclose bed bug infestations help combat the spread of the insects and protect the health of potential tenants. According to a new study, these laws also lead to cost savings, on average, for landlords within five years. Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published their findings today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

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Recent research suggests heart attacks are becoming more common among women of younger ages. For decades, little was understood about SCAD -- the leading cause of pregnancy-associated heart attacks.

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When it comes to lifestyle changes that can help people avoid cancer, it turns out the heart has a lot to say on the matter.

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A single dose of a PD-1 inhibitor before surgery for melanoma can put patients in remission.

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Nine patients at Penn Medicine have been cured of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) following lifesaving heart transplants from deceased donors who were infected with the disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Transplantation.

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Patients were found to often be willing to share their Google search histories with medical researchers, revealing that many do searches on their health concerns long before deciding to go to the hospital.

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Patients taking diuretics are often at risk for low potassium levels, which can put patients at an increased risk of death from cardiac arrhythmias or other causes. But researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that taking prescription potassium supplements can reduce these patients’ risk by nearly 10 percent as daily outdoor temperatures increase—a time when patients may be at highest risk due to loss of potassium while sweating. These findings are detailed in a study published today in BMJ Open.

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A new animal study describes how cells that become alveoli, the tiny compartments in which gas exchange occurs in the lung, begin their specialized roles very early in prenatal life. Investigating the fetal signaling pathways active in this biological event may offer future opportunities to treat lung damage caused by prematurity and other lung injuries.

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Collectively, assessing a snapshot of a person’s unique state of immune health is called immune profiling, which can entail identifying immune-cell-associated genes and proteins, as well as the cell types themselves.

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A Penn Medicine research team found that the word “told” was tied to almost 20 percent of poor reviews

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Offering compensation can be an important tactic to attract potential participants for enrollment in research studies, but it might come at a cost. A new study conducted by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that up to 23 percent of respondents lied about their eligibility to participate in a survey when offered payment, even small amounts.

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The word “millennial” isn’t exactly a compliment these days. The problem is, all the criticisms out there – “they’re too picky!” or “they’re entitled!” or “they spend all their money on lattes and avocado toast!” – have left it mostly with a negative connotation and rarely a positive one. Any praise for those born between 1981 and 1996 seems to be quickly drowned out by the headlines, memes, and social media posts reinforcing the same old stereotypes of an entire generation. But, in all fairness, millennials are also known to be altruistic, ambitious, and passionate about social injustices, more so than previous generations, many have argued. A USA Today article even described them as the most civic-minded generation in over half a century.

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An international team of collaborators found that the CD4 surface protein, which is used by HIV and SIV as the receptor to enter immune cells, is highly variable among wild chimpanzees.

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In a study of over 12,000 lines of fruit flies, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found a single gene, called nemuri, that increases the need for sleep.

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A novel “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery” (ERAS) protocol developed by Penn Medicine for patients undergoing spinal and peripheral nerve surgery significantly reduced opioid use. The new study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine showed that when an ERAS protocol was employed fewer patients needed pain medications one month after surgery.

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If a patient has private insurance, doctors can get prior approval to prescribe a drug “off-label” to make sure the medication will be covered, but these lists are incomplete, outdated, and frequently in conflict with each other.

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Researchers at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania say they’ve identified how to fuel macrophages with the energy needed to attack and eat cancer cells.

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The marketing of direct-to-consumer “neurotechnologies” can be enticing: apps that diagnose a mental state, and brain devices that improve cognition or “read” one’s emotional state. However, many of these increasingly popular products aren’t fully supported by science and have little to no regulatory oversight, which poses potential health risks to the public. In a new piece published in the journal Science this week, two bioethicists from Penn Medicine and the University of British Columbia suggest the creation of a working group that would further study, monitor, and provide guidance for this growing industry – which is expected to top $3 billion by 2020.

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The use of antibiotics to treat inflammatory skin conditions like acne and rosacea is decreasing over time, but there has been an increase in prescriptions associated with dermatologic surgical procedures.