Monthly Archives :

January 2024

Researchers Create Public Database of Nearly 40,000 Control Samples for Genetic Association Studies
Researchers Create Public Database of Nearly 40,000 Control Samples for Genetic Association Studies 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
conceptual art of DNA

Genetic association studies provide powerful means of discovering relationships between genetic variants and disease risk. However, these studies require enrolling very large numbers of individuals with the disease (cases) and healthy individuals (controls) as well as collecting genetic data for all of those participants — a time-consuming and expensive endeavor. “Sequencing DNA for a healthy…

New Zebrafish Pipeline Enables Functional Evaluation of Novel, Rare, Fusion-Oncogenes in vivo
New Zebrafish Pipeline Enables Functional Evaluation of Novel, Rare, Fusion-Oncogenes in vivo 1024 683 Jessica Nye, PhD

An innovative method that uses a zebrafish model to rapidly study novel fusion-oncogenes in vivo has been developed by investigators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.   Fusion oncogenes are frequently observed in pediatric cancers. These fusion oncogenes are typically caused by a chromosomal translocation that produces gain-of-function chimeric gene activity. Although there has been experimental work…

Meet Toni Pearson, MD: Pediatric Movement Disorders Expert
Meet Toni Pearson, MD: Pediatric Movement Disorders Expert 150 150 Pam Georgiana

Toni S. Pearson, MD, joined Nationwide Children’s in 2022 as an attending pediatric neurologist and professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She specializes in childhood movement disorders, such as dystonia, chorea, parkinsonism, ataxia, myoclonus, tremors, tics, and spasticity. Dr. Pearson is also developing a fellowship training program for a new…

Interactions Between Invading Tumor and Lung Cells Permit Metastatic Lung Colonization of Osteosarcoma
Interactions Between Invading Tumor and Lung Cells Permit Metastatic Lung Colonization of Osteosarcoma 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Survival signals elicited by lung tissue interactions promote osteosarcoma metastasis and represent a promising target for clinical trials in both human and canine patients.   Osteosarcoma, the most common primary tumor of bone, occurs predominantly in children, teens and young adults. Patient survival largely depends upon the presence or absence of metastasis. Within five years…

Featured Researcher – Amrik Khalsa, MD
Featured Researcher – Amrik Khalsa, MD 150 150 Alaina Doklovic

Amrik Khalsa, MD, is a physician and principal investigator in the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research (CCHEOR) in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is dual medically trained and board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and has research expertise in observational research design, community-engaged research, and…

Kids With Concussions Need Specialized Assessment and Care
Kids With Concussions Need Specialized Assessment and Care 1024 683 Sean Rose, MD

Learn why cutting-edge care and research specifically for children matters. The 2020 National Health Interview Survey reported that 6.8% of children experience symptoms of a concussion or brain injury in their lifetime. However, only 3.9% had received a diagnosis or treatment of a concussion or brain injury from a health care provider. The Concussion Center…

Transforming Treatment for Paratesticular Rhabdomyosarcoma in Adolescents through Robotics
Transforming Treatment for Paratesticular Rhabdomyosarcoma in Adolescents through Robotics 1024 683 Erin Gregory

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) has been a crucial component of treating testicular and paratesticular cancers for over a century. Recent advancements in minimally invasive techniques, such as robotic-assisted methods, have expanded the applicability of RPLND, offering reduced morbidity and faster recovery. However, concerns persist regarding the equivalence of oncological outcomes compared to traditional open…

Innovative Gene Therapy Approach for Treating Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Type 2
Innovative Gene Therapy Approach for Treating Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Type 2 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a devastating genetic disease that affects nearly 1 in every 5,500 newborns and approximately 2 million people worldwide. The disease is characterized by the formation of non-malignant tumors throughout multiple organs, including the kidney, lungs, eyes, and heart, but predominantly the brain. It is typically diagnosed in infants and young…

What Are the Risk Factors for Recurrent Wheezing in Late Preterm Infants?
What Are the Risk Factors for Recurrent Wheezing in Late Preterm Infants? 1024 683 Pam Georgiana

A collaboration between a pulmonary medicine fellow and allergy and immunology expert identifies four risk factors associated with recurrent wheezing in these patients.   When Brooke R. Gustafson, MD, a member of the Section of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine at Nationwide Children’s and an assistant professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine,…

GERD Less Likely Cause of Irritability and Back Arching in Infants
GERD Less Likely Cause of Irritability and Back Arching in Infants 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

In infants, frequent irritability and arching of the back can be concerning to parents and providers. These symptoms are often attributed to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a disease in which the lower esophageal sphincter does not close or opens at the wrong time. As a result, food and stomach acid can come back up into…

Ensuring All Children Have Access to Behavioral Health Care
Ensuring All Children Have Access to Behavioral Health Care 531 213 Pam Georgiana

New study reports the results of integrating psychologists into primary care clinics. Cody A. Hostutler, PhD, a psychologist in the Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s, is concerned about the mental health of the children and adolescents visiting primary care centers. “There is a mental health crisis for kids happening right now.…

Accelerating Pediatric Medical Device Innovation 
Accelerating Pediatric Medical Device Innovation  150 150 Erin Gregory

The Midwest Pediatric Device Consortium (MPDC) is a unique collective led by Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, designed to facilitate the development, production, and distribution of pediatric medical devices. Comprising a diverse group of leaders in universities, healthcare systems, community organizations, and industry partners across Ohio, the MPDC is committed to transforming…

Researchers Create a Stem Cell Line to Study Alagille Syndrome
Researchers Create a Stem Cell Line to Study Alagille Syndrome 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

The patient-derived iPSCs have a mutation affecting the Notch signaling pathway. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s have developed an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line derived from a patient with Alagille syndrome, a multisystem genetic disease. Like the majority of patients with Alagille syndrome, the stem cells have a pathogenic mutation in the JAG1 gene, part…