Research
Gene therapy restores hearing in deaf mice
More than 70 different genes are known to cause deafness when mutated. Jeffrey Holt, PhD, envisions a day when patients with hearing loss have their genome sequenced and their hearing restored by gene therapy. A proof-of-principle study published today by the journal Science Translational Medicine takes a clear step in that direction, restoring hearing in deaf mice. “Our gene ... Read More about Gene therapy restores hearing in deaf mice
Research
How our neutrophils might sabotage wound healing in diabetes
When you get a cut or a scrape, your body jumps into action, mobilizing a complicated array of cells and factors to stem bleeding, keep the wound bacteria-free and launch the healing process. For most of us, that process is complete in a couple of weeks. But for many people with type 1 and type ... Read More about How our neutrophils might sabotage wound healing in diabetes
Research
Fruit flies’ love lives could clarify brain cells’ role in motivation
If you have children present, you might want to click out of this post. But if you want to understand motivation, you’ll want to know about the sexual behavior of fruit flies. In the brain, motivational states are nature’s way of matching our behaviors to our needs and priorities. But motivation can go awry, and ... Read More about Fruit flies’ love lives could clarify brain cells’ role in motivation
Health and Parenting
BabySee: Mobile app lets you see through an infant’s eyes
David Hunter, MD, PhD, chief of Ophthalmology at Boston Children’s Hospital, gets a lot of questions from parents, but the number one question is: “What can my baby see?” That depends. How old is the baby? Five days after birth, she might see something like the image at left; at 3 months, the image at ... Read More about BabySee: Mobile app lets you see through an infant’s eyes
Research
New Human Neuron Core to analyze ‘disease in a dish’
Last week was a good week for neuroscience. Boston Children’s Hospital received nearly $2.2 million from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to create a Human Neuron Core. The facility will allow researchers at Boston Children’s and beyond to study neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders directly in living, functioning neurons made from patients with these ... Read More about New Human Neuron Core to analyze ‘disease in a dish’
Research
A simpler way to measure complex biochemical interactions
Life teems with interactions. Proteins bind. Bonds form between atoms, and break. Enzymes cut. Drugs attach to cell receptors. DNA hybridizes. Those interactions make the processes of life work, and capturing them has led to many medical advances. “Determining which molecules interact, and measuring the strength of these interactions is fundamental for many areas of ... Read More about A simpler way to measure complex biochemical interactions
Research
Frozen poop pill offers a less invasive treatment option for emerging infectious disease
The fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) movement is catching the attention of scientists, researchers and the media nationwide. Currently, fecal transplantation delivers pre-screened, healthy human donor stool to a patient via colonoscopy or by nasogastric tube. It’s prescribed as an effective alternative to long-term antibiotic use in treating debilitating infectious diseases such as Clostridium difficile, also known ... Read More about Frozen poop pill offers a less invasive treatment option for emerging infectious disease
Clinical Care
Food allergies: Turning tolerance back on
Hans Oettgen, MD, PhD, is Associate Chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital. He leads a research group investigating mechanisms of allergic diseases. Not long ago I received a wonderful email from “Sam,” an 18-year-old young man with peanut allergy. He was participating in a clinical trial of oral immunotherapy ... Read More about Food allergies: Turning tolerance back on
Research
Genome editing: A CRISPR way to correct disease
Technology sometimes unfolds at a slow, measured pace and sometimes at lightning speed. Right now, we are witnessing what is arguably one of the fastest moving fields in biomedical science: a form of genome editing aptly known as CRISPR. CRISPR allows researchers to make very precise—some would say crisp—changes to the genomes of human cells ... Read More about Genome editing: A CRISPR way to correct disease
Research
Stem cell medicine gets a “roadmap” and a quality assurance tool
If you’ve lost your way on the Boston subway, you need only consult a map to find the best route to your destination. Now stem cell engineers have a similar map to guide the making of cells and tissues for disease modeling, drug testing and regenerative medicine. It’s a computer algorithm known as CellNet. As ... Read More about Stem cell medicine gets a “roadmap” and a quality assurance tool