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Lauren Dembeck

Neurorehabilitation for Children With Batten Disease
Neurorehabilitation for Children With Batten Disease 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

Therapy should be tailored to each child’s needs. Batten disease comprises a rare group of related genetic disorders characterized by progressive neurodegeneration. The disease primarily presents in childhood as seizures, vision loss, and developmental regression. Neurorehabilitation services, including physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech-language pathology therapy (SLP), can delay loss of function and…

Novel Treatment Ameliorates Proteinuria and Dyslipidemia in a Model of Noninflammatory Glomerular Disease
Novel Treatment Ameliorates Proteinuria and Dyslipidemia in a Model of Noninflammatory Glomerular Disease 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome — characterized by proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, dyslipidemia, and edema — is one of the most common pediatric glomerular diseases. Glucocorticoids are first-line treatment, followed by calcineurin inhibitors for steroid-resistant disease; however, currently available calcineurin inhibitors can have numerous side effects, including dyslipidemia, and require frequent monitoring of drug levels in the blood. Since…

The Endocrinologists’ Role in Caring for TPIAT Patients
The Endocrinologists’ Role in Caring for TPIAT Patients 1024 500 Lauren Dembeck
illustrated cross section of islets from pancreas

Children with recurrent acute or chronic pancreatitis often suffer debilitating pain and may endure an impaired quality of life. They may be frequently admitted to the hospital, disrupting their daily routines and activities. Patients may undergo medical and endoscopic interventions for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and may be offered surgical interventions. Total pancreatectomy with…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Tissue Engineered Trachea: State of the Research
Tissue Engineered Trachea: State of the Research 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

The promise of tissue-engineered trachea grafts is moving closer to the clinic, as recent preclinical studies have shown successful implantation and neovascularization. Breathing is an essential biological function that provides our bodies with the oxygen necessary for survival. However, most of us rarely think about the biological structures that make it possible. The trachea, commonly…

Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Safe and Tolerable in Children With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors
Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Safe and Tolerable in Children With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

The overall survival rates for children with childhood cancers is now over 80%; however, for children with relapsed and refractory tumors, the survival rates remain low. “For example, children with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma have a five-year survival of less than ten percent,” explains Keri A. Streby, MD, director of the Neuroblastoma Program in the…

Racial Disparities in Healthcare Use Among Medicaid-Covered Children With Congenital Heart Disease
Racial Disparities in Healthcare Use Among Medicaid-Covered Children With Congenital Heart Disease 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

In the United States, congenital heart disease is the most common birth anomaly, with almost 40,000 newborns diagnosed each year. As these children grow, they are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Thus, ensuring they receive recommended cardiology care is essential to their long-term health and well-being. Racial disparities in health outcomes have been…

Coexistence of Different Telomere Maintenance Mechanisms in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Tumors
Coexistence of Different Telomere Maintenance Mechanisms in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Tumors 1024 504 Lauren Dembeck

Due to within-tumor heterogeneity, telomere-based therapeutic interventions will likely need to target both known telomere maintenance mechanisms to prevent resistance and recurrence.   Normal differentiated somatic cells can divide only a limited number of times due to loss of the physical ends of their chromosomes, the telomeres, with each replication. When the telomeres reach their…

Recent Trends in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety in US Children and Adolescents
Recent Trends in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety in US Children and Adolescents 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association joined together to declare a national state of emergency in children’s mental health. The declaration was motivated by steadily increasing rates of childhood mental health concerns and suicide between 2010 and 2020. Among those concerns are anxiety…

Preemptive Stenting of the Left Pulmonary Artery During Surgery for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Preemptive Stenting of the Left Pulmonary Artery During Surgery for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Perioperative stenting during the comprehensive stage 2 surgery does not negatively impact overall outcomes. However, Preemptive stenting has a survival advantage of babies relative to those who had reactionary stenting.   Each year, approximately 1,000 babies in the United States are born with one of the most common critical congenital heart defects—hypoplastic left heart syndrome.…

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Prevents Neuroma and Phantom Limb Pain in Children After Amputation
Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Prevents Neuroma and Phantom Limb Pain in Children After Amputation 1024 684 Lauren Dembeck

In certain cases, such as limb traumas and sarcomas, amputation may be chosen to optimize patients’ physical function. Persistent postamputation residual limb or “stump” pain and phantom limb pain can be debilitating and has been associated with prosthetic abandonment in patients who have undergone amputation. This pain is often secondary to symptomatic neuromas, tumor-like disorganized…

Kidney Support for Babies: Building a Comprehensive and Integrated Neonatal Kidney Support Therapy Program
Kidney Support for Babies: Building a Comprehensive and Integrated Neonatal Kidney Support Therapy Program 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Kidney support therapy (KST), commonly referred to as dialysis, is a life-saving procedure used to manage complications associated with acute kidney injury and kidney failure, such as fluid overload and electrolyte imbalances, or to remove toxins, such as those in patients with inborn errors of metabolism. Most KST or dialysis machines are designed for adults…

Susceptibility to and Use of E-cigarettes and Marijuana Is Common Among Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease
Susceptibility to and Use of E-cigarettes and Marijuana Is Common Among Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

Adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) are subject to disease-related stressors, such as attending medical appointments and undergoing medical procedures. They have elevated risk for cardiovascular and cognitive complications, which may be exacerbated by the use of e-cigarettes and marijuana. To inform prevention strategies for their long-term wellbeing, it is critical to understand patterns of…

Implementation of a COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Program
Implementation of a COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Program 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Researchers provide guidance on risk stratification and offer subspecialists and community practitioners a streamlined approach to treating patients at greater risk for severe COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the development of therapeutic approaches to combat the SAR-CoV-2 virus. In late 2020, monoclonal antibody therapies were among the first COVID-19 therapeutics to receive emergency use authorization…

Improving the Diagnosis and Treatment of Iron Deficiency and Anemia in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Improving the Diagnosis and Treatment of Iron Deficiency and Anemia in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Iron deficiency with and without anemia is under-recognized and under-treated in children with inflammatory bowel disease.   Anemia is the most common extr-aintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and iron deficiency is the most prevalent cause of anemia in children with IBD. Several factors…

The Role of a Children’s Hospital in Central Ohio’s Biotech Boom
The Role of a Children’s Hospital in Central Ohio’s Biotech Boom 480 346 Lauren Dembeck and Natalie Wilson

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is at the front of the pack among top National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded children’s hospitals when it comes to developing novel gene therapies and commercializing intellectual property. Achieving this level of commercial activity is a testament to the organization’s groundbreaking investments in infrastructure, unique approaches to engaging with industry and…

Proof-of-Concept Study Shows Promise of Exon-Skipping Gene Therapy Approach in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Proof-of-Concept Study Shows Promise of Exon-Skipping Gene Therapy Approach in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating progressive muscle-wasting disease that leads to loss of motor and cardiorespiratory function. The disease is caused by mutations in the DMD gene that result in the loss of expression of the dystrophin protein, which plays a critical role during contraction and relaxation of muscle. To date, the U.S.…

Substantial Variation in Fluid Balance Among Preterm Neonates
Substantial Variation in Fluid Balance Among Preterm Neonates 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

In neonates, approximately 75 to 90% of the body weight consists of body fluid. The amount varies with gestational age, with higher total body fluid percentages in extremely preterm infants, those born at 22 to 28 weeks of gestation. These extremely preterm infants have immature skin and kidneys and thus immature fluid homeostasis regulatory mechanisms,…

Study Identifies Multiple Cell Signaling Pathways for Calcification in Aortic Valve Disease Regulated by Nitric Oxide
Study Identifies Multiple Cell Signaling Pathways for Calcification in Aortic Valve Disease Regulated by Nitric Oxide 1024 753 Lauren Dembeck

Exploring novel signaling mediators in calcific aortic valve disease may pave the way for the development of pharmacotherapies to treat this intractable condition during early stages of its progression.   Calcific aortic valve disease is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by progressive fibrosis and calcification of the heart valves, which can cause narrowing of the…

Exploring the Complex Immune Microenvironment of Rasmussen Encephalitis
Exploring the Complex Immune Microenvironment of Rasmussen Encephalitis 1024 587 Lauren Dembeck

Researchers used a multi-omics approach to gain a deeper understanding of aberrant cellular signaling leading to progression of a rare childhood neurological disease.   Rasmussen encephalitis is a very rare childhood neurological disease characterized by chronic progressive inflammation of one hemisphere of the brain, leading to loss of function, neurodegeneration, and drug-resistant epilepsy. Researchers have…

Study Suggests Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors Have Altered Connectivity of Key Brain Regions
Study Suggests Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors Have Altered Connectivity of Key Brain Regions 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

The findings contribute to a scant body of literature on the changes in functional connection within the brain and neurocognitive outcomes in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. Pediatric brain tumors are the most common solid tumor diagnosis among children in the United States. With advances in treatment, the 5-year survival rate among these children and…

New Initiative Aims to Bring Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment to Children With Solid Tumors
New Initiative Aims to Bring Personalized Diagnosis and Treatment to Children With Solid Tumors 1024 614 Lauren Dembeck
abstract art of magnifying glass over DNA strand

Collaboration among National Cancer Institute, Children’s Oncology Group and Nationwide Children’s Hospital will offer molecular characterization of childhood cancers. The National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), Children’s Oncology Group (COG), and Nationwide Children’s Hospital are poised to change the direction of pediatric cancer diagnosis and care through a new initiative that is the…

Brain Organoids Provide Novel Mechanistic Insight into Microcephaly Associated with AUTS2 Syndrome
Brain Organoids Provide Novel Mechanistic Insight into Microcephaly Associated with AUTS2 Syndrome 873 552 Lauren Dembeck
Microscopy image of cerebral organoid sections

Researchers have functionally validated a genotype-phenotype relationship between a variant in the AUTS2 gene and neurodevelopmental deficits in AUTS2 syndrome using patient-derived brain organoids. Genetic variants in more than 100 genes, including the gene AUTS2, have been associated with autism spectrum disorders. However, the model systems used to study the mechanisms underlying how these genetic…

Discovering the Genetic Causes of Congenital Heart Defects
Discovering the Genetic Causes of Congenital Heart Defects 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

By studying the genomes of children and members of their family, researchers have discovered novel disease genes in families impacted by cardiac defects. Congenital heart disease is a leading cause of death in children under one year of age, and evidence supports a strong genetic component underlying this group of common developmental defects. However, historically,…

Do Symptom Scores and pH Impedance Correlate in Infants Treated for Gastroesophageal Reflux?
Do Symptom Scores and pH Impedance Correlate in Infants Treated for Gastroesophageal Reflux? 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) — the passage of gastric contents into the esophagus — is a physiologic process that can be considered normal or abnormal depending on whether troublesome symptoms and/or complications also occur. In infants, it is difficult for clinicians to distinguish between GER and pathophysiologic GER disease (GERD). “Current diagnostic criteria for GERD are…

Salivary MicroRNAs: A Promising Biomarker for Persistent Post-concussive Symptoms in Children With Concussion
Salivary MicroRNAs: A Promising Biomarker for Persistent Post-concussive Symptoms in Children With Concussion 1024 768 Lauren Dembeck

The multidisciplinary study used children’s saliva and genomic analysis to identify promising biomarkers for persistent post-concussive symptoms. Predicting clinical recovery of children with concussion is challenging. While concussion symptoms typically resolve within one to three weeks, up to one-third of children develop persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS), including headache, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and sensitivity to…

Researchers Characterize Growth and Remodeling of Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels
Researchers Characterize Growth and Remodeling of Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels 600 400 Lauren Dembeck
Tissue engineered vascular graft

Tissue engineering may soon give babies with congenital heart disease new blood vessels capable of native function and growth.   Major cardiovascular reconstructive operations in babies with congenital heart defects require the use of artificial blood vessels called vascular grafts. Because these grafts are made of man-made materials, the recipients’ tissues eventually begin to outgrow…

Engineered Viruses Help the Immune System Target Cancer Cells
Engineered Viruses Help the Immune System Target Cancer Cells 1024 623 Lauren Dembeck

The seemingly unlikely “partnership” leads to strong antitumor responses in pediatric tumor models. A recent study from researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, published in the Journal for Immuno Therapy of Cancer, describes how a type of viroimmunotherapy activates the immune system to preferentially target tumor cells. “Pediatric tumor typically lack neoantigens – new proteins that…

What Psychosocial Interventions Are Well Established for the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Youth?
What Psychosocial Interventions Are Well Established for the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder in Youth? 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Clinical psychology researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital recently published a comprehensive review of evidence-based psychosocial treatments for bipolar disorder in youth.  Bipolar spectrum disorders (BPSDs) are chronic, recurrent conditions characterized by episodic mood disturbance alternating between periods of depression and (hypo)mania. These conditions are associated with considerable impairment, reduced quality of life, high rates of…

First Multicenter, Prospective Study of Surgical Approach and Short-term Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Total Pancreatectomy With Islet Autotransplantation
First Multicenter, Prospective Study of Surgical Approach and Short-term Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Total Pancreatectomy With Islet Autotransplantation 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

The goal of the prospective study is to critically evaluate current clinical practices to determine which should be adopted or abandoned. It will also provide an opportunity to evaluate patients’ quality of life after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation.   For children and adults with debilitating pancreatitis that fails to respond to medical and endoscopic…

Researchers Classify High-Risk Variants in Lamin A/C Cardiac Disease Using Machine Learning
Researchers Classify High-Risk Variants in Lamin A/C Cardiac Disease Using Machine Learning 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
conceptual art of DNA

A recent study from researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, published in Heart Rhythm, describes how a LMNA variant of unknown significance was identified as high-risk using family histories, genomic analysis and machine learning. “Genetic variants in LMNA are well known to cause a spectrum of clinical disease — referred to as laminopathies — particularly cardiomyopathy,…

4-Year Study Finds No Correlation Between Head Impacts and Cognitive Outcomes in Youth Tackle Football Players
4-Year Study Finds No Correlation Between Head Impacts and Cognitive Outcomes in Youth Tackle Football Players 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

In the longest study of its kind, researchers studied individual players through 4 seasons of youth tackle football and found no correlation between the number or severity of head impacts and cognitive and behavioral outcomes.  When children are considering playing contact sports, parents/guardians and medical providers must weigh the risks and benefits. One of the…

Right Care, Right Place, Right Time? Frequency and Duration of Boarding for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions at Acute Care Hospitals
Right Care, Right Place, Right Time? Frequency and Duration of Boarding for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions at Acute Care Hospitals 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Mental health boarding durations significantly exceed standards by the Joint Commission, and youth receive minimal mental health services in these acute care settings. This study calls for increased awareness, dedicated resources and research to improve mental health care for youths in these settings. According to the results of a national survey conducted, in part by…

High Rate of Urologic Anomalies in Children With Anorectal Malformations
High Rate of Urologic Anomalies in Children With Anorectal Malformations 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Early recognition of urologic problems through proactive screening and urologic collaboration may help prevent of renal deterioration and allow for timely treatment in this population.   Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have recently demonstrated that urologic anomalies occur at a high rate in children with anorectal malformations and appear to increase in frequency with increasing…

Codetection of Respiratory Bacteria in Infants With RSV Infection Associated With Worse Outcomes
Codetection of Respiratory Bacteria in Infants With RSV Infection Associated With Worse Outcomes 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Color photo of Black father holding infant on shoulder in front of nursery background with clouds on the wall

The interaction between the bacteria and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) appears to be synergistic. Researchers are now working to understand the underlying biological mechanisms. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have discovered that codetection of Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae in the upper respiratory tract of previously healthy infants with RSV infection was independently associated with…

Microsurgery for Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Personalized Approach Leads to Remarkable Recoveries
Microsurgery for Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Personalized Approach Leads to Remarkable Recoveries 1024 440 Lauren Dembeck

Children from around the world are coming to Nationwide Children’s for specialized care for AFM with lower extremity involvement. Dr. Amy Moore invented many of the procedures that are leading to remarkable recoveries for these patients. After an ordinary cold, most people continue with life as usual; however, in some rare cases, a previously healthy…

Distinct Transcriptional Regulatory Domain Identified in Ewing Sarcoma Fusion Protein
Distinct Transcriptional Regulatory Domain Identified in Ewing Sarcoma Fusion Protein 1024 1024 Lauren Dembeck
Illustration of split DNA - Single strand ribonucleic acid

A better understanding of a newly defined region in the fusion protein that causes Ewing sarcoma may lead to novel approaches for therapeutic targeting. Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric bone cancer defined by the presence of a single genetic abnormality: a chromosomal translocation. The translocation splits two genes and joins them abnormally, creating a…

Kidney and Urinary Tract Protein Demonstrates Antimicrobial Activity
Kidney and Urinary Tract Protein Demonstrates Antimicrobial Activity 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

A little-studied peptide found in the urinary tract is a potential biomarker for urinary tract infection risk and could be developed into a novel therapeutic against drug-resistant bacteria.  Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have demonstrated that an understudied protein expressed in the human kidney and bladder kills the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTI).…

Alarming Upward Trend in Black Youth Suicide From 2003 to 2017
Alarming Upward Trend in Black Youth Suicide From 2003 to 2017 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck
Sad black teenage girl

Prioritization of research aimed at identifying specific risk and protective factors associated with Black youth suicidal behavior is needed. In the United States, the rates of suicide and suicidal behavior among youth, children and adolescents 5-17 years of age, have been steadily increasing over the last decade, and Black youth, 5-12 years, are approximately two…

Probiotic Treatment Promotes Neurodevelopment After Experimental Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Probiotic Treatment Promotes Neurodevelopment After Experimental Necrotizing Enterocolitis 777 640 Lauren Dembeck
B&W image of Dr. Gail Besner posing for a photo in her lab coat

A single dose of a novel live probiotic therapeutic protects the rodent brain during early development and the effects persist into adolescence. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have demonstrated that when given in a biofilm state, probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri prevents the detrimental neurodevelopmental sequalae of experimental necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).1 The findings, published in Brain, Behavior…

Molecular Toolset: Real-Time Screening for SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Molecular Toolset: Real-Time Screening for SARS-CoV-2 Variants 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

Tracking variants of concern or interest is critical to inform public health decisions and to ensure patients receive the best available COVID-19 treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infections. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University (OSU) have developed a set of mutation-specific tests with same-day reporting that can detect five variants of concern (VOCs)…

The 5,000 Babies Project: Screening Newborns for Early Diagnosis of Developmental Delay
The 5,000 Babies Project: Screening Newborns for Early Diagnosis of Developmental Delay 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Democratizing health care requires equal access to early identification of infant neurodevelopmental disorders.  Delayed diagnosis of disorders that involve developmental delays, such as cerebral palsy, can lead to lifelong disability. Yet not all families have access to health care facilities employing highly trained specialists who can test for these developmental delays. Infants from minority families…

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Characterizing the Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Characterizing the Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

  Precise definitions and/or classifications of bronchopulmonary dysplasia are needed to optimize outcomes. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are continuing to help refine the definition of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD). In a recent study, members of the BPD Collaborative demonstrated that preterm infants with sBPD who were on invasive mechanical ventilation at 36 weeks, a…

Diuretic Therapy in Preterm Infants With Acute Kidney Injury Is Common: Should It Be?
Diuretic Therapy in Preterm Infants With Acute Kidney Injury Is Common: Should It Be? 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
small baby with nose canula

Lack of efficacy and safety data on diuretic therapy in the critically ill infants is cause for concern. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are beginning to fill in the gaps. Despite the common use of diuretic therapy in preterm infants with acute kidney injury, to date, no large studies have evaluated the patterns of prescription…

Keeping in Touch: Renin-Producing Cells Require Cell Adhesion Molecule to Survive
Keeping in Touch: Renin-Producing Cells Require Cell Adhesion Molecule to Survive 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

Uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may provide insights into the long-term effects of hypertension and antihypertensive medications.  As the main source of renin in the human body, juxtaglomerular (JG) cells are crucial for blood pressure and fluid-electrolyte homeostasis. However, these cells cannot be cultured in vitro, making it challenging to study the…

The Sound of Silence: The Impact of “Silent” Genetic Variation in Health and Disease
The Sound of Silence: The Impact of “Silent” Genetic Variation in Health and Disease 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

Despite widespread scientific interest in messenger RNA (mRNA) structure, its role in human health and disease remains poorly understood. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have developed novel software and metrics to identify “silent” genetic variants that affect mRNA folding and may underlie rare genetic disorders. Historically, synonymous or “silent” genetic variants — those in protein-coding…

The First Opioid-Prescribing Guidelines for Children Who Require Surgery
The First Opioid-Prescribing Guidelines for Children Who Require Surgery 1024 573 Lauren Dembeck

Providers should recognize the risks of opioids, maximize nonopioid regimens, and educate families appropriately. The first opioid-prescribing guidelines to address the unique needs of children who require surgery have been published by an expert panel in JAMA Surgery. The new guidelines aim to help health care professionals caring for children and adolescents in the perioperative…

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