Archive for research
Decoding sickle cell disease offers new outlook for Lamarcus
When Lamarcus Jean visits the Hematology Clinic at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, he makes himself right at home. The 6-year-old, whom his mom, Stephanie, describes as “wise beyond his years,” has been a patient here since he was born. Lamarcus has sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder caused by a mutation ... Read More about Decoding sickle cell disease offers new outlook for Lamarcus
The Beauty of the Brain
Every year, the Harvard Brain Science Initiative sponsors its Beauty of the Brain contest. This year, two Boston Children’s Hospital images are among the six winners drawn from a pool of forty submissions. Above, Mary Whitman, MD, PhD, and Jess Bell, from the laboratory of Elizabeth Engle, MD, developed this image of a developing mouse ... Read More about The Beauty of the Brain
A big step toward curbing graft-vs.-host disease after bone marrow transplant
A drug used for rheumatoid arthritis has moved a step closer to FDA approval for a desperately needed new use. The drug, abatacept, has gained FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for preventing acute, severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients receiving bone marrow transplants. That could help fast-track the drug to the clinic. “If we are lucky ... Read More about A big step toward curbing graft-vs.-host disease after bone marrow transplant
Identifying specific markers in blood may improve diagnosis of IBD in children
New research may lead to improved methods to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children. This could be especially beneficial for those experiencing malnutrition and impaired growth as a result of this condition, since it could shorten their wait time to access needed treatments. Identifying a common gene in blood and colon tissue samples Scientists from Boston ... Read More about Identifying specific markers in blood may improve diagnosis of IBD in children
Healing hearts under a watchful eye
Cardiac surgery is performed using visual landmarks inside the heart. There are specialized conduction tissues that run underneath the surface, which are important for the heart’s rhythmic beating. Cardiac surgeons operate with these landmarks in mind to avoid injury to conduction tissue, but locating these tissues can be challenging. Fiberoptic confocal microscopy technology inside the ... Read More about Healing hearts under a watchful eye
Staff spotlight: Meet genetic counselor Beth Rosen Sheidley
In honor of Genetic Counselor Awareness Day, we sat down with Beth Rosen Sheidley, MS, CGC, co-director of the Epilepsy Genetics Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, to learn about the field and practice of genetic counseling. What is the role of a genetic counselor? There are about 30 genetic counselors at Boston Children’s across many different departments and ... Read More about Staff spotlight: Meet genetic counselor Beth Rosen Sheidley
Natural language processing captures new insights on patient safety
Safety monitoring at Boston Children’s Hospital is getting even more thorough, thanks to natural language processing systems. Aided by machine-learning algorithms, these systems are capturing problems that clinicians didn’t explicitly flag through a safety reporting system, but documented in their notes. The net result is further opportunities to improve care. Natural language processing, or NLP, ... Read More about Natural language processing captures new insights on patient safety
High numbers of youth report using prescription opioids in the past year
A new analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health finds a surprisingly high prevalence of prescription opioid use among youth. As recently as 2015–2016, 21 percent of adolescents and 32 percent of young adults said they had used these drugs in the past year. Nearly 4 percent and 8 percent, ... Read More about High numbers of youth report using prescription opioids in the past year
Beware probiotics in ICU patients
It’s become common for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), both children and adults, to receive probiotics. Often, they are started at home to counteract diarrhea caused by antibiotics. There is also interest in using probiotics proactively in the ICU. A large multicenter clinical trial in Canada is testing whether probiotics would prevent ventilator-associated ... Read More about Beware probiotics in ICU patients
Teen author dedicates a children’s book to her twin brother with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
Sophia Namazy, 14, has a hero: it’s her twin brother Max, who has Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. This is a rare and very serious genetic condition that impacts multiple systems in the body, including the bone marrow, pancreas, skeleton, and immune system. Although her brother is currently doing well, people with this disease have a high risk ... Read More about Teen author dedicates a children’s book to her twin brother with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome