From the lab bench to the cloud, Penn Medicine is at the forefront of biomedical discovery—translating research into real-world impact. Explore the latest breakthroughs.
CAR T cell therapy could be a highly effective tool against atherosclerosis, a common condition that leads to heart attacks and stroke.
In a historic medical breakthrough, a child with a rare genetic disorder has been successfully treated with a customized CRISPR gene editing therapy.
A new toolkit allows researchers to test potential cancer targets directly in patient-leukemia cells.
In addition to being five times less costly, the telemedicine visits led to fewer follow-up visits, too.
Samuel Parry, MD, the Franklin Payne Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Penn has been awarded the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM)’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award.
A muscle science lab draws on personal experience at the extremes—world-class athleticism and muscular dystrophy—in seeking a safer gene therapy.
A new electronic implant system can help lab‑grown pancreatic cells mature and function properly, potentially providing a basis for novel, cell-based therapies for diabetes.
Public investments in biomedical research have an outsized effect, driving new scientific insights, economic growth, and ultimately treatments and cures.
The successes of CAR T research show the importance of the cycle of science—sparking new ideas and clinical trials that give patients better options.
The Penn Medicine Co-Investment program spurs faculty innovation, creates jobs, and helps scale up ideas into large-scale clinical studies.
New clues in pancreas lymph nodes and spleen could stop the disease before insulin is lost forever.
A reimagined facility has been introduced as the epicenter for pioneering Penn research aimed at “breaking the immunological code” of autoimmune diseases and bringing them to heel.
Penn Medicine research is bringing the “sleeper” phase of cancer to light—creating hope that more cancers could be wiped out for good and never come back.
New work from Penn Medicine demonstrated an ambitious strategy to block fibrotic scarring of the liver—which leads to liver failure—through injecting mice with encapsulated mRNAs that homed in on T cells and reprogramed them to target fibrosis-making liver cells. — Jan. 21, 2026
A study showing how morphine quiets pain-processing circuits in the brain also introduced a powerful new AI-based platform to measure ongoing pain in animals, and additionally brought forward a first-in-class gene therapy for pain relief to be tested in animal models. — Jan. 7, 2026
“Killer” T cells found in infected or malignant tissue have many similarities to tissue-resident “memory” T cells, a class that provide long-term response against their targets. Penn Medicine researchers showed that the two T cell types have distinct origins and functions, and won’t respond the same in therapeutic settings. — Dec. 29, 2025
Clinical research professionals’ quiet work with patients and data behind the scenes is vital to moving innovative research forward.
A dual-target CAR T cell therapy approach shows promise for slowing tumor growth in a notoriously aggressive and fast-growing brain cancer.
Carl June, MD, explains how CAR T cell therapy, which has been transformative for blood cancers, holds the potential to help millions more patients.
Bilateral hand transplant at Penn Medicine gives Swiss man new hands 16 years after childhood amputations.
Uterus transplant is still a rare procedure—but for the six moms who have had eight babies to date through Penn’s program, it means the world.
In a proof of concept for a future bridge to transplant, researchers circulated a deceased donor’s blood through a genetically engineered pig liver.
Every minute in the U.S., a woman needs a blood transfusion due to her period. Kathleen O’Neill, MD, is working to develop a novel therapy to protect women.
Could the mRNA technology behind COVID vaccines be used to tamp down the immune system for celiac and other autoimmune diseases?
Biomedical innovations using mRNA could prevent, treat, or cure numerous diseases. Penn Medicine is advancing its Nobel Prize-winning technology worldwide.
The Basser Center for BRCA is running an innovative cancer interception clinical trial that depends on volunteers with deep, personal ties to cancer.
Penn Medicine researchers are at the forefront of new scientific efforts to interrupt the development of cancer at its earliest stages.
The gift from Penn alumni Mindy and Jon Gray establishes the Basser Cancer Interception Institute to stop hereditary cancers at the earliest stages.
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