Research
Capturing SARS-CoV-2’s shape-shifting spike protein
The rod-like spike proteins on the surface of SARS CoV-2 are the tip of the spear of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spikes bind to human cells via the ACE2 receptor and then dramatically change shape. They jack-knife, folding in on themselves to fuse their own membrane with the membrane of our cells. And that opens ... Read More about Capturing SARS-CoV-2’s shape-shifting spike protein
Clinical Care
Utilizing engineering tools from the aerospace industry to repair hearts
When an 18-year-old patient from North Carolina recently presented at Boston Children’s Heart Center with an enlarged right atrium that made the flow through his Fontan circulation very inefficient, David Hoganson, MD, decided to utilize a new set of tools borrowed from the aerospace industry. “We have been collaborating with Dassault Systemes for over a ... Read More about Utilizing engineering tools from the aerospace industry to repair hearts
Health and Parenting
Should you hire a babysitter during COVID-19? Six tips to consider
If you’ll be going back to work outside of the home, you may wonder if it’s safe to hire a babysitter during COVID-19. While this decision is a very personal one, for some families it can be an appealing alternative to using a daycare center— as long as you can find a caregiver you trust ... Read More about Should you hire a babysitter during COVID-19? Six tips to consider
Patient Stories
Experience matters: For Curtis’s family, choosing a thyroid surgeon was simple
For many parents, being told their child needs a total thyroidectomy — surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland — comes as a frightening shock. But for Curtis Lynch’s family, the procedure is already quite familiar. Several members have also undergone thyroidectomy in hopes of mitigating their genetic risk for thyroid cancer. Curtis’s family has a ... Read More about Experience matters: For Curtis’s family, choosing a thyroid surgeon was simple
Patient Stories
Leaning into Sydney: A team approach to renovascular hypertension
In most ways, Sydney Murphy is a typical 3-year-old girl: She watches the movie The Princess and the Frog on repeat, names most of her dolls after the main character, Tiana, and loves the color pink. But she’s also wise beyond her years. “She knows how to use a blood pressure cuff and is really ... Read More about Leaning into Sydney: A team approach to renovascular hypertension
Research
Diving into the dark side of ependymoma
Mariella Filbin, MD, PhD, a neuro-oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, is driven by a desire to find new therapies for some of the hardest-to-treat pediatric brain tumors. At the core of her work is an effort to uncover the events that shape tumor development. Key takeaways:· Aggressive ependymoma tumors are stuck ... Read More about Diving into the dark side of ependymoma
Our Community
Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. Grant Hogue
Dr. Grant Hogue completed his fellowship in orthopedic surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2015. He spent the next five years at the University of Texas in San Antonio as division chief of pediatric orthopedics. Soon after he relocated to Massachusetts to join the Boston Children’s Hospital Spine Division, Governor Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home ... Read More about Provider Spotlight: Meet Dr. Grant Hogue
Patient Stories
Answers for Aubree: Finding support for OEIS
Michelle and Stephen Strickland are used to having questions about their infant daughter, Aubree’s, health. After all, Aubree was born last year with a rare and complex condition called cloacal exstrophy, or OEIS syndrome, in which many of the internal abdominal structures and organs are exposed outside the body. OEIS can include an omphalocele, rectal ... Read More about Answers for Aubree: Finding support for OEIS
Clinical Care
Monitoring for breast cancer after childhood chest radiation: When and how?
Chest radiation is used to treat children with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma as well as lung metastases in various solid tumors. But radiation itself is a potential cancer risk. That includes an increased risk for breast cancer later in life. Girls receiving chest radiation for childhood cancer face a breast cancer risk as high as ... Read More about Monitoring for breast cancer after childhood chest radiation: When and how?
Research
Internet searches provide real-time estimate of Lyme disease risk
Lyme disease season is well underway. How much of a risk do we face for this tick-borne illness? A new method dubbed Lymelight, developed by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Google, can accurately estimate Lyme disease risk in real time, down to the county level. Historically, estimates of Lyme disease have been based on ... Read More about Internet searches provide real-time estimate of Lyme disease risk