Blog | Page 6 of 158 | Boston Children's Answers

Adam takes a pause from his active life for non-ossifying fibroma

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Joanne Barker | Patient Stories

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

Tagged: bone tumors, orthopedics

New research paves the way to a better understanding of telomeres

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Jessica Cerretani | Research

Tags: dyskeratosis congenita, genetics and genomics, research, stem cells, telomere disease

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

Tagged: dyskeratosis congenita, genetics and genomics, research, stem cells, telomere disease

Choosing fetoscopic spina bifida care for Hadley

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Staff Writer | Patient Stories

Tags: Fetal Care and Surgery Center, pregnancy, spina bifida

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

Tagged: Fetal Care and Surgery Center, pregnancy, spina bifida

AI-designed proteins open doors to new immunotherapies

Posted on August 14, 2025 by Jessica Cerretani | Research

Tags: immunotherapy, research, stem cells

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

Tagged: immunotherapy, research, stem cells

Advancing global health: Using AI to detect heart disease in children

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Albert McKeon | Research

Tags: cardiac research, cardiology, congenital heart defect, electronic health records, electrophysiology, heart, heart center, research

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

Tagged: cardiac research, cardiology, congenital heart defect, electronic health records, electrophysiology, heart, heart center, research

Study highlights the severity of acute necrotizing encephalopathy in kids with the flu

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Jessica Cerretani | Research

Tags: flu, neuroimmunology, neuroinflammation, vaccines

For most children, influenza (flu) usually means unpleasant symptoms like a fever, sore throat, and achy muscles. But for a small subset of kids, the flu can trigger a rare but serious complication called influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). This form of brain inflammation typically occurs in response to a virus — such as those ... Read More

Tagged: flu, neuroimmunology, neuroinflammation, vaccines

A world of difference: Why Noah traveled from Florida for multiple sclerosis care

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, neuroimmunology

When Noah started having headaches four years ago, his mom, Jonda, initially wondered if it was a classic kid ruse. “I thought maybe he was trying to get out of doing chores,” she remembers. But when the headaches got worse and even his eyes hurt, she brought him to their local emergency room in Florida. ... Read More

Tagged: autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, neuroimmunology

Hope in sight for autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA)

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Katie Paradis | Research, Therapeutics/Diagnostics/Devices

Tags: blindness, research

Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), the most common genetic optic neuropathy, is an insidious disease. It often presents slowly during childhood by way of blurry vision, trouble reading or focusing, and sometimes only as a failed vision test. But behind these subtle signs lies progressive, irreversible vision loss in both eyes caused by deterioration of ... Read More

Tagged: blindness, research

The dopamine reset: Restoring what’s missing in AADC deficiency

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Katie Paradis | Research, Therapeutics/Diagnostics/Devices

Tags: gene therapy, neurology, research, seizures

In March 2023, a young girl came to Boston Children’s Hospital unable to hold up her head — one striking symptom of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. This rare neurological disorder prevents the brain from producing dopamine and serotonin — essential chemicals for controlling movement, mood, and basic body functions. Without them, children experience ... Read More

Tagged: gene therapy, neurology, research, seizures

An unbreakable bond: Brothers turn medical complexities into superpowers

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: prematurity

“Look! Is that one JetBlue? I think that one’s Delta!” Running through the grass, climbing on the jungle gym, and watching planes take off and land at nearby Logan Airport: Castle Island in South Boston is Patrick and Teddy’s happy place. The brothers, ages 4 and 3 respectively, are almost as obsessed with airplanes as ... Read More

Tagged: prematurity