Research
A smiling Olumide Fagboyegun outside his lab building.

When community is as important as the science: Olúmídé Fagboyegun

In his short, prolific neuroscience career, Olúmídé Fagboyegun has always sought community. It’s served him well, from his years at community college in Maryland to his PhD work in the Stevens Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital. Landing in Maryland from his native Nigeria at age 15, Fagboyegun found he had to repeat part of high ... Read More about When community is as important as the science: Olúmídé Fagboyegun
Research
A pharmacist in a pharmacy

New insight into the effects of PPIs in children

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently prescribed to suppress stomach acid in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Prescribing rates of PPIs in children have risen more than 500 percent in the past two decades, despite growing concerns about their risks: Previous research has linked their use to an increased risk of various pulmonary and gastrointestinal ... Read More about New insight into the effects of PPIs in children
Health and Parenting
photo of a backpack ready to be taken to school

Going back to school with a chronic condition

Going back to school can be a time of excitement for many families: Your kids are looking forward to reconnecting with their friends — and you’re looking forward to watching them learn and grow. But for caregivers of children and teens with chronic or complex conditions, preparing for a new school year involves much more ... Read More about Going back to school with a chronic condition
Research
A piece of DNA being edited, with an “X” to indicate the edit is being overridden.

A new anti-cancer strategy: Overriding tumor edits

Cancers are clever and often find ways to dodge people’s immune systems, making them hard to eradicate. Immunotherapies such as CAR-T cells and checkpoint inhibitors can sharpen the immune system’s attack and cure the cancer. But they don’t work for most solid tumors. We now know that tumors can edit their genes to evade immune ... Read More about A new anti-cancer strategy: Overriding tumor edits
Research
cancer cells being targeted by immunotherapy drugs

Immunotherapy for children with primary liver carcinomas: Research offers new hope

Pediatric hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and fibrolamellar carcinoma are rare, aggressive forms of liver cancer that typically affect adolescents and young adults. Although some immunotherapy drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration as first-line treatments for HCC in adults, less is known about their effectiveness in treating pediatric liver carcinomas. Now, new research led ... Read More about Immunotherapy for children with primary liver carcinomas: Research offers new hope
Patient Stories
Lily smiles with a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

Lily’s smile lights up the stage, thanks to orthodontic care

Thirteen-year-old Lily is a fan of the theatre — and she’s no stranger to taking the stage, having already performed in two plays just this past school year. “She’s always the most confident when she’s up on stage with her friends,” says her mom, Jade. Lily’s confidence is something that she recently stepped back into, ... Read More about Lily’s smile lights up the stage, thanks to orthodontic care
Patient Stories
“Estamos totalmente sorprendidos por esta experiencia”, dice el padre de Isaac sobre su reparación de DTN. “Es perfecto, y eso es increíble”.

Un hito en la Costa Este: El bebé Isaac está evolucionando después de una reparación fetoscópica por minilaparotomía de espina bífida abierta

Isaac Suardi aún no lo sabe, pero ya ha hecho historia. Recién nacido en julio, es el primer bebé en la Costa Este en someterse a una reparación quirúrgica fetoscópica por minilaparotomía de un defecto del tubo neural (DTN) mientras aún está en el útero de su madre. “Sinceramente, no pensamos demasiado en eso”, admite ... Read More about Un hito en la Costa Este: El bebé Isaac está evolucionando después de una reparación fetoscópica por minilaparotomía de espina bífida abierta
Research
An electron microscopy image of the choroid plexus, stained to show white blood cells and blood vessels.

Humble cells in a little-known organ manage brain inflammation

Deep in the brain, sheets of tissue known as the choroid plexus produce cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and act as a protective barrier between the brain and CSF. But the lab of Maria Lehtinen, PhD, at Boston Children’s Hospital has shown that the little-known choroid plexus does much more. For example, it secretes factors that promote ... Read More about Humble cells in a little-known organ manage brain inflammation
Patient Stories
Isaac as a newborn

Baby Isaac is thriving after an East Coast first for a neural tube defect

Isaac Suardi doesn’t know it yet, but he’s already made history. Just born in July, he’s the first baby on the East Coast to undergo mini-laparotomy fetoscopic surgical repair of a neural tube defect (NTD) while still in his mother’s womb. “Honestly, we didn’t think too much about that,” admits his father, Chris. “We knew ... Read More about Baby Isaac is thriving after an East Coast first for a neural tube defect