Archive for infectious diseases
How COVID-19 triggers massive inflammation
Why do some people with COVID-19 develop severe inflammation, leading to respiratory distress and damage to multiple organs? A new study in the journal Nature provides an explanation: the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects and kills critical immune cells in the blood and lungs, which set off powerful alarm bells as they die. Judy Lieberman, MD, PhD, ... Read More about How COVID-19 triggers massive inflammation
COVID vaccination in 5- to 11-year-olds: What does the science say?
The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for children ages 5 to 11 in October, but many parents have been hesitant to get them vaccinated. A national study in The New England Journal of Medicine provides reassuring data, showing that the vaccine strongly protected this age group against severe COVID-19. Dr. Adrienne Randolph at Boston Children’s ... Read More about COVID vaccination in 5- to 11-year-olds: What does the science say?
A new symptom of COVID-19 in young children: Croup
During the Omicron surge, pediatricians and emergency departments (EDs) began noticing something new: a surge in croup among infants and young children. Marked by a distinctive “barking” cough and sometimes noisy, high-pitched intakes of breath, croup can happen when colds and other viral infections cause the voice box, windpipe, and bronchial tubes to become inflamed ... Read More about A new symptom of COVID-19 in young children: Croup
Real-time genomic surveillance of bacteria could improve antibiotic therapy
Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are increasingly hard to treat, causing more than a million deaths annually around the world. Hospitalized patients with pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, or abdominal infections are especially at risk. Like a game of Whac-A-Mole, bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance mutations within days of starting an antibiotic, only to be replaced ... Read More about Real-time genomic surveillance of bacteria could improve antibiotic therapy
A respiratory model of COVID-19, made from patients’ own cells
What happens in our respiratory tract once COVID-19 invades? A three-dimensional airway model, made from patient-derived stem cells, could provide answers about the initial stages of infection. The model not only replicates the infection process, but can be used to test potential antiviral drugs. Ruby Wang, MD, attending physician in Boston Children’s Division of Pulmonary ... Read More about A respiratory model of COVID-19, made from patients’ own cells
From our labs and clinics: The top 10 COVID-19 science stories of 2021
As COVID-19 waxed, waned, morphed, and waxed again this year, research was taking place throughout Boston Children’s Hospital. Ongoing national studies the hospital is leading or co-leading include Overcoming COVID-19, a CDC-funded study on COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C); IMPACC, examining immune responses in people hospitalized with COVID-19; and MUSIC, studying MISC’s ... Read More about From our labs and clinics: The top 10 COVID-19 science stories of 2021
What makes the Delta variant of COVID-19 so contagious?
The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has swept the planet, becoming the dominant variant within just a few months. A new study from Boston Children’s Hospital, published in Science, explains why Delta spreads so easily and infects people so quickly. It also suggests a more targeted strategy for developing next-generation COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Last spring, ... Read More about What makes the Delta variant of COVID-19 so contagious?
New research NETs a fresh angle for treating severe inflammation
As we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, serious infections sometimes trigger an excessive inflammatory reaction that does as much harm — or more — than the infection itself. New research at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggests a potential way to block this hyperinflammation response by repurposing or modifying an existing drug. ... Read More about New research NETs a fresh angle for treating severe inflammation
Unpacking the body’s interferon response to COVID-19
Interferons are potent natural antivirals, rallying other parts of the immune system to defend against viruses. Some clinical trials have tested interferons as a treatment for COVID-19, but results have been mixed. And the science has been unclear about whether interferons are helpful or harmful. Key takeawayAn early, protective interferon response in the upper respiratory ... Read More about Unpacking the body’s interferon response to COVID-19
Why do some children get MIS-C after COVID-19? Some early clues
Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, a small number of children began to develop a cluster of mysterious symptoms. These included rashes, red eyes, gastrointestinal symptoms and, most worrisome, heart problems. Why does this serious illness, now known as multisystem inflammatory disorder in children (MIS-C), strike some previously healthy children? And who is most at ... Read More about Why do some children get MIS-C after COVID-19? Some early clues