Monthly Archives :

February 2016

Loss of MHCI in Motor Neurons Leads to ALS Astrocyte Toxicity
Loss of MHCI in Motor Neurons Leads to ALS Astrocyte Toxicity 150 150 Abbie Miller

New research shines a light on the role of MHCI in astrocyte-induced death of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and pointing to a potential therapeutic target. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a devastating progressive neurodegenerative disease that results in the death of motor neurons, the nerve cells that…

Eating Better, Not Less, May Be Key to Weight Management for Teens on DMPA
Eating Better, Not Less, May Be Key to Weight Management for Teens on DMPA 150 150 Anne FitzSimons

Research suggests teens weight gain on popular injectable contraceptive associated with micronutrient intake. Each year, thousands of teenage girls decide to use the injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). They are drawn to DMPA’s long-acting convenience (it’s injected just four times a year) and near 100 percent efficacy. However, for some, the drug causes significant and seemingly…

Pay-for-Performance Incentives Impact Patient Care
Pay-for-Performance Incentives Impact Patient Care 150 150 Naomi Makni, MHA

First evaluation of pay-for-performance conducted by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The first pay-for-performance (P4P) evaluation of pediatricians under a full-risk Medicaid accountable care organization (ACO) for children shows P4P incentives were partially responsible for higher performance on quality measures across Partners For Kids’ primary care network of employed and affiliated physicians, according to study authors at…

Involving Stakeholders Boosts Clinical Trial Participation
Involving Stakeholders Boosts Clinical Trial Participation 150 150 Alayna DiMartini

Stakeholder involvement in clinical trial design leads to greater recruitment and retention rates. By seeking the advice of patients, families and other stakeholders in designing a clinical trial investigating pediatric appendicitis, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found a way to significantly increase the number of people recruited and retained in the trial. Recruitment of patients…

Predicting the Efficacy of Immune-Based Therapies for Pediatric Solid Tumors
Predicting the Efficacy of Immune-Based Therapies for Pediatric Solid Tumors 150 150 Jeb Phillips

Expression of HLA class I and β-2-microglobulin may show how susceptible some cancers are to T-cell based immunotherapies. A number of possible immunotherapies for cancer are based on T-cells that can target and kill tumors. These cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can only recognize tumor cells, though, if an antigen is expressed in the context of…

Adenovirus or Kawasaki Disease?
Adenovirus or Kawasaki Disease? 150 150 Tiasha Letostak, PhD

Researchers investigate clinical and laboratory testing methods to accurately distinguish adenovirus from Kawasaki disease in children Kawasaki disease is a rare but serious condition in children that involves inflammation of the blood vessels, specifically the coronary arteries. It is the most common cause of pediatric acquired heart disease in the developed world. However, diagnosis is difficult…