Blog | Page 22 of 157 | Boston Children's Answers

A journey through the intestine during colitis, cell by cell

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: crohn's disease, gastroenterology, genetics and genomics, inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), causing devastating abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, and rectal bleeding, is hard to control with current treatments. Children often experience malnutrition and impaired growth. To get a better handle on IBD, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital decided to eavesdrop on happenings in the colon. In the first ... Read More

Tagged: crohn's disease, gastroenterology, genetics and genomics, inflammatory bowel disease

BRD7 research points to alternative insulin signaling pathway

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Albert McKeon | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: diabetes, endocrinology, obesity, research

Bromodomain-containing protein 7 (BRD7) was initially identified as a tumor suppressor, but further research has shown it has a broader role in other cellular processes, including the remodeling of chromosomes and cell cycle progression. Now, Boston Children’s Division of Endocrinology researchers have discovered another purpose for BRD7: It seems to be involved in an alternative insulin signaling ... Read More

Tagged: diabetes, endocrinology, obesity, research

An act of kindness — Raul and Larry’s journey to a non-directed transplant donation

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Veronica Giarla | Patient Stories

Tags: liver disease, transplant

Acts of kindness can come in many forms, like volunteering or donating to a charity of choice. At 52, Larry loves giving back to his local community in Vermont, which is why he works in law enforcement. However, he has taken these thoughtful acts of kindness to another level — he’s donated one of his ... Read More

Tagged: liver disease, transplant

The people and advancements behind 75 years of Boston Children’s Cardiology

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Albert McKeon | Clinical Care

Tags: anesthesia, cardiac catheterization, cardiac surgery, cardiology, electrophysiology, fetal cardiology, heart, heart center, medical devices, medical training

Boston Children’s Department of Cardiology has more than 100 pediatric and adult cardiologists, over 40 clinical fellows learning the routines of heart care in a major hospital, 12 echocardiogram rooms dedicated to testing the function of a child’s heart, and five labs equipped to perform advanced catheterization procedures. Many other numbers could highlight the dedication that the ... Read More

Tagged: anesthesia, cardiac catheterization, cardiac surgery, cardiology, electrophysiology, fetal cardiology, heart, heart center, medical devices, medical training

Genetic variants are found in two types of strabismus, sparking hope for future treatment

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Albert McKeon | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: genetics and genomics, ophthalmology, research, strabismus

Determining how genetics contribute to common forms of strabismus has been a challenge for researchers. Small discoveries are considered meaningful progress. Boston Children’s researchers believe they’ve helped move the needle. They discovered that two types of strabismus — esotropia and exotropia — may have shared genetic risk factors. Duplications on the second, fourth, and tenth chromosomes that ... Read More

Tagged: genetics and genomics, ophthalmology, research, strabismus

Exploring brain operations: Making decisions, snapping to attention, and forming memories

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: ADHD, alzheimers disease, epilepsy, neuroscience

How do our brains snap to attention and orient us to the outside world — like when we’re sound asleep and the smoke alarm goes off? And when different choices confront us, how does our brain make decisions? Two groups of researchers at Boston Children’s explored these all-important brain operations. The first study, published February ... Read More

Tagged: ADHD, alzheimers disease, epilepsy, neuroscience

‘Everything fell into place’: Innovative POEM procedure lets Peyton eat without pain

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: gastroenterology, motility, pain

Peyton Reed, 14, is a typical teenage boy: He enjoys tennis, video games — and food. So when eating became so painful for him that he started losing weight, his parents knew it was time to get him help. The problem began gradually enough five years ago, with bouts of what seemed liked heartburn. Because ... Read More

Tagged: gastroenterology, motility, pain

In the genetics of congenital heart disease, noncoding DNA fills in some blanks

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: congenital heart defect, genetics and genomics, heart, heart center, rare disease

Researchers have been chipping away at the genetic causes of congenital heart disease (CHD) for a couple of decades. About 45 percent of cases of CHD have an identifiable cause, including chromosomal abnormalities, genetic variants affecting protein-coding genes, and environmental factors. What about the rest of the cases of CHD? Noncoding DNA elements have long ... Read More

Tagged: congenital heart defect, genetics and genomics, heart, heart center, rare disease

Machine learning algorithm could offer urologists a “crystal ball” for predicting VUR

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Jessica Cerretani | Data Science, Research

Tags: artificial intelligence, urology

Hydronephrosis is a common congenital anomaly that’s increasingly identified during prenatal ultrasound. Although ultrasound is also the first-line test to screen for hydronephrosis in infants, it is poor at determining dilating vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), one cause of hydronephrosis. A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) can better characterize VUR but is more invasive and costlier. But what if ... Read More

Tagged: artificial intelligence, urology

Could SIDS be caused by unrecognized brain infections?

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: genetics and genomics, infectious diseases, neuroinflammation, research, sudden infant death syndrome

Some infants who pass away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are known to have had acute minor infections. Could these have played a role in their death? Using next-generation molecular tools, a new study provides evidence that undiagnosed inflammation and occult infection can contribute to SIDS and the brainstem pathology seen in some infants. ... Read More

Tagged: genetics and genomics, infectious diseases, neuroinflammation, research, sudden infant death syndrome