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A safe, pain-specific anesthetic shows preclinical promise

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
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All current local anesthetics block sensory signals — pain — but they also interrupt motor signals, which can be problematic. For example, too much epidural anesthesia can prevent mothers in labor from being able to push. Prolonged local anesthesia after orthopedic surgery can leave patients unable to participate in rehab. Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital ... Read More
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After surgeries to treat HLHS, Carter is healthy and happy at home in Florida

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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Carter Miller loves action. The 4-year-old Florida resident enjoys riding on golf carts and flying high on swing sets.  It’s the kind of fun that make his parents, Andrea and Bo, appreciate where the family is now. Nearly five years ago, they were worried after a prenatal diagnosis showed Carter would be born with a ... Read More
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A unique marker for pericytes could help forge a new path for pulmonary hypertension care

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare condition that’s difficult to treat. The hallmarks of the disease — narrowing of the arterioles and capillaries that deliver blood to the lungs — force the heart to work harder. In severe cases, PAH can lead to heart failure. Pericytes support capillary function and may play a role ... Read More
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‘We never stopped believing’: Benny’s journey with liver cancer

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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Earlier this year, 12-year-old Benny helped his dad, Ben, build a deck around his family’s pool. Moving boards, handing each other tools — DIY projects are a rite of passage for many kids and their parents. But the experience was even more meaningful for Benny and Ben. “I got to enjoy that kind of father-son moment ... Read More
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New research shows caregiver instability affects development

Posted on by | Research
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According to some estimates, more than 100 million children around the world experience separations from their caregiver every year. Previous research — much of it derived from the long-running Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), which followed Romanian orphans from infancy to age 22 — suggests that caregiver disruptions like separations or changes in placement can ... Read More
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Adam takes a pause from his active life for non-ossifying fibroma

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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Adam was 11 in early 2024 when he and his bike slid under a downed tree. Such events aren’t unusual for Adam, who finds plenty of opportunities to test the limits of gravity near his home in Southern Maine. “Adam is the epitome of activity,” says his mother, Jessica. After the bike incident, however, he ... Read More
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New research paves the way to a better understanding of telomeres

Posted on by | Research
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Much the way the caps on the ends of a shoelace prevent it from fraying, telomeres — regions of repetitive DNA sequences and a protein structure — protect the tips of chromosomes from damage. Every time our cells divide, telomeres lose a bit of that DNA. Eventually, telomeres become so short that they can no ... Read More
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Choosing fetoscopic spina bifida care for Hadley

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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When Katie and Derek learned in 2024 that their daughter Hadley would be born with spina bifida, they quickly set out to find the best care available. And as so often happens in parenting, their most important decision was to trust their instincts. Doing so led them to be among the first in New England ... Read More
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AI-designed proteins open doors to new immunotherapies

Posted on by | Research
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly helping drive advances in science and medicine — including cellular signaling. In a recent study, published in Cell, a team of Boston Children’s researchers used groundbreaking AI-based protein design technologies to generate large numbers of immune cells — specifically T cells — in the laboratory and to enhance immune responses ... Read More
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Advancing global health: Using AI to detect heart disease in children

Posted on by | Research
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In many low- and middle-income countries, pediatric cardiologists can’t help children with congenital heart conditions because of a critical hurdle. They don’t have easy access to advanced diagnostic technology. Key takeaways Children in many countries are not receiving proper heart care because they’re not being diagnosed. AI-powered electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) models could give cardiologists in these ... Read More
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