Our Community
Teens from the Waltham Boys and Girls Club meet with John Riordan, director of community relations and partnerships and Jane Venti, senior director for Boston Children’s at Waltham

Teens teach other teens healthy habits in Waltham

Learning how to eat healthier. Finding more time for physical activity. Coping with challenges and setbacks. These are all skills that teens need to learn … but from whom? The Waltham Boys & Girls Club believes it has hit on an answer: other teens. A grant from Boston Children’s Collaboration for Community Health will fund a campaign in which ... Read More about Teens teach other teens healthy habits in Waltham
Patient Stories
Cole, left, and his brother, Michael

Cole: Having a ball after CAR T-cell therapy

After undergoing a promising new treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Cole Malone is back to doing what he loves: playing on a flag football team with his twin brother, Michael. Cole and Michael, 14, already know plenty about teamwork. Michael served as a perfect-match donor when Cole had a stem cell transplant at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood ... Read More about Cole: Having a ball after CAR T-cell therapy
Patient Stories
The Rojas family, who have two sons with ALD,at a recent visit to Boston Children’s.

The space between heartache and happiness: Two sons with adrenoleukodystrophy

When Paul and Liliana Rojas talk about their life, they describe it in one of two ways — the way it was before their sons, 10-year-old Brandon and 7-year-old Brian, were diagnosed with ALD, and the way it is after. Their story is one of heartbreak — but also hope, in the form of a ... Read More about The space between heartache and happiness: Two sons with adrenoleukodystrophy
Patient Stories
Manny, who has sickle cell disease, at a visit with Dr. Esrick

Manny: Hoping new research helps others with sickle cell disease

Emmanuel “Manny” Johnson, Jr., shares many loves with his little brother, Aiden — from basketball to video games. One thing he wishes they did not share is sickle cell disease (SCD), so Manny is playing a role in a new effort to improve treatment for patients like 7-year-old Aiden, himself and others living with the inherited blood disorder. ... Read More about Manny: Hoping new research helps others with sickle cell disease
Research

How the antidepressant ketamine rapidly awakens the brain, and why its effects vary more in women

In small doses, the anesthetic ketamine is a mildly hallucinogenic party drug known as “Special K.” In even smaller doses, ketamine relieves depression — abruptly and sometimes dramatically, steering some people away from suicidal thoughts. Studies indicate that ketamine works in 60 to 70 percent of people not helped by slower-acting SSRIs, the usual drugs ... Read More about How the antidepressant ketamine rapidly awakens the brain, and why its effects vary more in women
Research
Michael Rogers and Daniëlle Peterse, Boston Children's Hospital

Drug repurposing and DNA mining: The hunt for new endometriosis treatments

Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition that may affect more than 1 in 10 reproductive-age women. Yet, there’s very little research into the disease and limited options for treatment. A team in the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children’s Hospital is trying to change that. In endometriosis, tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside of ... Read More about Drug repurposing and DNA mining: The hunt for new endometriosis treatments
Patient Stories
Bruno, who had cubital tunnel syndrome, holds his bass guitar

Returning to the stage after cubital tunnel syndrome

Bruno Silva can’t imagine his life without music. He has been playing bass guitar since he was 12 years old and performs at least once a week, often more. Born in Japan to Brazilian parents, Bruno has lived and performed in England, Brazil, Spain and the United States. He started out playing along to bands ... Read More about Returning to the stage after cubital tunnel syndrome
Patient Stories
Jane, who had acute flaccid myelitis, on her bike.

The mystery of Jane’s left shoulder: Acute flaccid myelitis

When 5-year-old Jane Morehead tumbled off her bike in May 2017, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Jane’s dad was with her at the time, and both of them considered the fall a minor one. The whole family was surprised, therefore, when Jane had pain in her left shoulder the next day. At an ... Read More about The mystery of Jane’s left shoulder: Acute flaccid myelitis
Research
Kimberly Stegmaier,MD

CRISPR-Cas9 screen opens new targets for Ewing sarcoma, other childhood cancers

While the genetic mutations driving adult cancers can sometimes be targeted with drugs, most pediatric cancers lack good targets. That’s because their driving genetic alterations often create fusion proteins that aren’t easy for drugs to attack. “This is one reason why it is notoriously hard to make targeted drugs against childhood cancers — their cancer-promoting ... Read More about CRISPR-Cas9 screen opens new targets for Ewing sarcoma, other childhood cancers