Monthly Archives :

February 2025

CD38-CAR NK Cell Therapy Has Antitumor Potential for Treating CD38-Expressing Hematologic Malignancies
CD38-CAR NK Cell Therapy Has Antitumor Potential for Treating CD38-Expressing Hematologic Malignancies 1024 649 Jessica Nye, PhD

Investigators from Nationwide Children’s Hospital created fratricide-resistant and metabolically-enhanced chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) and T cells that have cytotoxic effects on many hematologic tumors. “One of the problems that we usually have with blood cancers is making effective therapies using immune cells, because the immune cells then recognize themselves as a threat…

Meet Karen Texter, MD, Director of Fetal Echocardiography at Nationwide Children’s
Meet Karen Texter, MD, Director of Fetal Echocardiography at Nationwide Children’s 1024 691 Abbie Miller

Karen Texter, MD, is a pediatric cardiologist and director of Fetal Echocardiography at Nationwide Children’s. Her clinical and research interests include echocardiography in congenital and acquired heart disease and fetal cardiology. What inspired you to pursue a career in pediatric cardiology? How did you get into fetal cardiology, specifically? My interest in pediatric cardiology really…

Featured Researcher – Eric Sribnick
Featured Researcher – Eric Sribnick 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

When children experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as significant injuries elsewhere in the body—such as a liver or spleen laceration or a broken bone—they face a substantially increased risk of subsequent infection. Research suggests this may stem from a sort of shock to the immune system leading to immunoparalysis, which leaves children…

Linaclotide: A New Option For Chronic Pediatric Constipation
Linaclotide: A New Option For Chronic Pediatric Constipation 1024 668 Pam Georgiana

Phase 3 Trial at Nationwide Children’s Supports Safety and Efficacy in Children Aged 6–17. Constipation, a common issue for children, can be a source of prolonged struggle and distress for young patients and their families. Despite many treatments being available, some children continue to battle with this condition for years. There is a lack of…

What Pediatric Endocrinologists Need to Know About Diabetes in the Age of GLP-1s
What Pediatric Endocrinologists Need to Know About Diabetes in the Age of GLP-1s 1024 683 Erin Gregory

GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic (semaglutide) offer new opportunities for managing pediatric diabetes and obesity. These medications target insulin resistance and related comorbidities, but their use raises questions about safety, access and ethical considerations. In the following interview, Leena Mamilly, MD, and Rohan K. Henry, MD, pediatric endocrinology experts at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, explore…

Real-Time Arrhythmia Detection in Adults With Fontan Palliation
Real-Time Arrhythmia Detection in Adults With Fontan Palliation 1024 683 Pam Georgiana

Evaluating the Utility and Accuracy of Patient-Driven Wearable EKG Monitoring Devices Patient-driven diagnostic wearables, such as personal EKG devices, are popular among adults interested in heart health. However, little is known about the accuracy of these devices for adults with congenital heart disease. “Research supports smartphone-based heart monitors for detecting normal rhythms and atrial fibrillation…

How Accurate is Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Testing?
How Accurate is Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Testing? 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

Symptom-based bipolar disorder tests accurately diagnose pediatric bipolar disorder, with parent-reported tests being among the most accurate. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of bipolar disorder index tests, parent-reported tests are more accurate than self- or teacher-reported tests. The analysis, led by Cristian Alcaíno, a doctoral candidate at…

Improving Pediatric Clinical Trials by Incorporating Parent Input
Improving Pediatric Clinical Trials by Incorporating Parent Input 1024 681 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

A Parent Council in an ongoing pediatric stroke rehabilitation trial provides important insights into how parent involvement can inform and enrich the research process. While the need for diverse and inclusive clinical trial populations has been acknowledged for the last few decades, the value of input into trial design from the patient (and in pediatrics,…

Treatment for Substance Use Disorder in the Synthetic Opioid Era
Treatment for Substance Use Disorder in the Synthetic Opioid Era 1024 683 Alaina Doklovic

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is the recommended first line treatment for adolescents with opioid use disorder (OUD), the chronic use of opioids and/or synthetic opioids that causes clinically significant distress or impairment. Buprenorphine is the most accessible medication for MOUD. Studies show long-term use of buprenorphine decreases opioid use, reduces overdose risk and…

Introducing the Fourth Wave of the Drug Epidemic
Introducing the Fourth Wave of the Drug Epidemic 1024 575 Alaina Doklovic

Drug overdoses and poisoning are the third leading cause of pediatric death. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of fentanyl-related overdoses, with 15-19 year olds being the most affected. In the Ohio illicit drug supply, as shared by the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC), the emerging drugs, known as…

Harm Reduction: Meeting Patients With Substance Use Disorders Where They Are
Harm Reduction: Meeting Patients With Substance Use Disorders Where They Are 1024 768 Alaina Doklovic

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, fewer than 10% of adolescents with a substance use disorder receive care. Of those 10%, many are not ready to engage in treatment. They are often brought in by a parent or guardian. Harm reduction is an opportunity to engage all adolescents, whether they are…

Largest Pediatric ECMO Repository in the United States Celebrates 10 Years of Research
Largest Pediatric ECMO Repository in the United States Celebrates 10 Years of Research 1024 537 Abbie Miller

The ECMO Repository at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is the first and larges of its kind in children’s hospitals in the United States. In December 2014, The Heart Center and Center for Cardiovascular Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital launched an initiative to prospectively collect biologic samples from pediatric patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) – a…

Filling the Pipeline for Behavioral Health Professionals
Filling the Pipeline for Behavioral Health Professionals 150 150 Abbie Miller and Shannon Caldwell

Brittany Schaffner, IMFT-S, LPCC-S, shares how a new college course and professional resources are helping more students meet the need for behavioral health care in pediatrics. Tell us about your role at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. I’m a behavioral health clinical training supervisor here at Nationwide Children’s. I facilitate training programs for a wide range of…