A national study led by Boston Children's Hospital found that families provide an estimated $36 billion worth of unpaid medical care to 5.6 million children with special health care needs. The study also estimates a loss of $18 billion in household income due to parents taking time off work to care for their children.
A new color-coding tool enables scientists to track live blood stem cells over time, revealing how blood disorders and cancers like leukemia arise. The tool has many implications for hematology and cancer medicine, including understanding clonal diversity and regulating its development.
A survey of 1,000 US parents found that 91.5% agreed use of placebo is vital for advancing new treatments, but only a majority accepted it for seven common conditions. The study highlights the need to refresh traditional pediatric therapeutic models to support parental decisions around placebos.
A narrative review of 34 studies found that stronger firearm laws, especially those with background checks and permit requirements, are associated with decreased firearm homicide rates. However, more research is needed to fully understand the impact of these laws.
A study published in Pediatrics found that daytime sleepiness and evening chronotype are more strongly associated with poor self-regulation in teens than sleep duration. The researchers suggest that aligning school start times with natural circadian rhythms may improve self-regulation and overall health.
Scientists at Boston Children's Hospital discovered a defect in mitochondrial recycling in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder associated with autism. The study found that two existing classes of drugs, carbamazepine and mTOR inhibitors, can enhance autophagy and replenish healthy mitochondria.
Researchers developed a technology to generate mouse models quickly testing and tweaking potential HIV vaccines. The goal is to create broadly neutralizing antibodies able to fight any mutant HIV strain, which would be the 'holy grail' of AIDS vaccines.
A new study from Boston Children's Hospital reveals that specific neurons in the hypothalamus play a central role in triggering anxiety. Blocking these neurons selectively erased natural fears in mice, suggesting a potential more effective treatment for anxiety and other psychiatric disorders.
A study of over 28,000 people reveals that individuals consistently follow a hedonic flexibility principle, engaging in mood-increasing activities when feeling bad and useful activities when feeling good. This finding clarifies how emotions shape behavior and explains the trade-offs humans make for long-term happiness.
A randomized trial led by Boston Children's Hospital found no difference between acetaminophen and ibuprofen in treating pain and fever in children with mild persistent asthma. The study enrolled 300 children aged 1-5 years old and showed that both medications were effective in controlling asthma symptoms.
A recent study found that nearly half of pediatric clinical trials are either discontinued early or remain unpublished in the medical literature. The research suggests significant inefficiency and waste in the field, with more than 8,000 children participating in unfinished trials and over 69,000 enrolled in completed but unpublished t...
A study led by Boston Children's Hospital researchers finds that the loss of let-7 microRNA family is central to neuroblastoma development. The study suggests strategies focused on restoring let-7 could provide a fresh, low-toxicity approach to treating this childhood cancer.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have discovered a new potential avenue for controlling severe bacterial infections and sepsis. The study reveals that a protein fragment called gasdermin-D-NT can kill both bacteria and infected cells, offering a defense against antibiotic-resistant infections.
Researchers used cloud-based electronic health records (EHRs) to track flu outbreaks in real time, outperforming Google Flu Trends. A machine-learning algorithm accurately predicted national and local influenza activity, enabling timely preparedness for public health officials.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital found a fatty chemical called oxPAPC that induces an immune response in mice, causing T-cells to become highly active and effective. This discovery could lead to the development of more effective vaccines against various infections.
A new roadmap outlines actionable recommendations for high-income countries to enhance global surgical capacity. The paper calls on universities, hospitals, and businesses to develop partnerships with LMICs to improve access to safe surgery and anesthesia care.
A new study reveals that a targeted immune pathway may be the key to preserving cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease. By blocking this pathway, researchers were able to reduce synapse loss in mouse models of the disease, offering hope for a potential therapeutic target to halt its progression.
A study published in Nature Medicine found that fuel-starved light receptors contribute to the development of age-related macular degeneration. The researchers discovered that photoreceptors need lipids, not just glucose, to function properly and that blocking a specific receptor can prevent abnormal vessel growth.
Researchers discover small peptides psaptides that can force tumors to regress by stimulating an anti-angiogenic response in healthy tissues. Psaptides mimic the naturally occurring human protein prosaposin, which stimulates immune cells to produce a potent anti-inflammatory protein called thrombospondin-1.
Researchers identified 27 hotspots of frequent DNA breaks in genes associated with brain tumors and neurodevelopmental/psychiatric diseases. These break hotspots may play a role in generating neural diversity during development.
The study discovered that cancer begins after activation of an oncogene or loss of a tumor suppressor, involving a change that takes a single cell back to a stem cell state. Targeting specific genes could stop cancer from ever starting.
A patient-controlled health data economy can provide a more complete picture of a patient's health by enabling them to gather all data from multiple providers in one place. This system also fosters greater coordination among providers and empowers patients to augment their records.
A team of scientists has identified a unique immune mechanism, microptosis, that targets and kills intracellular parasites. This process involves the release of three proteins: perforin, granulysin, and granzymes, which work together to induce programmed cell death in both the parasite and infected host cells.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital restored vision in mice with optic nerve injury using gene therapy and a channel-blocking drug. The study found that the regenerated nerve fibers needed to be helped to conduct impulses without myelin sheath, which can be achieved by adding a potassium channel blocker.
Leonard I. Zon, MD, has made outstanding contributions to the field of cancer genetics with his work on stem cell biology and zebrafish research. His discoveries have led to the development of novel therapeutics for leukemia and melanoma, which are now being evaluated in clinical trials.
A 30-year analysis suggests that safer sleep environments are one of several factors behind the decline in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates. Improved prenatal and neonatal care, reduced maternal smoking, increased breast feeding, and declines in teen pregnancy also contribute to the trend.
A new study combines data from various sources to create more accurate flu forecasts. The ensemble models outperform traditional methods, including Google Flu Trends, and provide near-perfect correlation with CDC reports. Researchers hope to expand the model's capabilities to track other diseases.
Researchers have designed a specialized catheter that uses biodegradable adhesive and patch to fix holes in the heart without open heart surgery. The catheter is inserted through a vein and activates a patch with UV light, allowing it to secure itself in place and dissolve over time.
Research at Boston Children's Hospital identifies IGFBP3 as the hormone destroying intestinal stem cells in type 1 diabetes, leading to a potential treatment strategy with TMEM219. The study also suggests a new approach to cell therapy by exploiting hormones controlling stem cell production.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have identified epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) that enhance stem cell engraftment in zebrafish and mice. These compounds could improve bone marrow transplants by allowing the use of more umbilical cord blood units, increasing patient chances of finding a matched donor.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School used gene therapy to restore hearing in mice with genetic deafness. The treatment successfully restored the ability of sensory hair cells to respond to sound and partially restored actual hearing in deaf mice.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital develop a new treatment strategy targeting nerve endings to combat allergic asthma. By selectively silencing sensory neurons called nociceptors, the approach reduces inflammation and bronchial twitchiness in mouse models of acute and chronic asthma.
Researchers have identified a previously unknown genetic immunodeficiency linked to DOCK2 mutations, which deactivates the immune system and leaves affected children open to aggressive and potentially fatal infections. The condition can be detectable by newborn screening and is curable with a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
A new treatment approach uses a non-narcotic inhibitor to reduce excessive BH4 production, leading to pain relief without addiction or tolerance. The research, led by Boston Children's Hospital, shows promise for treating conditions like diabetic peripheral neuropathy and rheumatoid arthritis.
Researchers from Boston Children's Hospital discovered that body's own immune cells produce bacteria-trapping NETs, which slow healing in diabetic mice. Methods to prevent NET production or cleave them might alleviate wound healing problems in people with diabetes.
Researchers from Boston Children's Hospital and Merck have built a digital phenotype of insomnia and other sleep disorders based on Twitter data. The study found that Twitter users with sleep problems are less active on social media but tweet more during traditional sleeping hours, suggesting an increased risk for psychosocial issues.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have identified previously unrecognized proteins and pathways involved in nerve regeneration using proteomics techniques. Adding back the oncogene c-myc achieved unprecedented optic nerve regeneration in mice, promoting survival and axon growth.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital found that administering neuregulin from birth can stimulate cardiomyocyte proliferation and improve heart function in infants with congenital heart disease. The study suggests that early treatment may prevent long-term damage and symptoms of heart failure later in childhood.
Researchers calculate vaccine coverage among exposed populations in California, Arizona, and Illinois as far below 96-99% necessary for herd immunity. The virus's effective reproduction rate is estimated between 3.2-5.8, emphasizing the importance of vaccination to control outbreaks.
A study from Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that an existing epigenetic drug can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have BRG1 or EGFR mutations. This breakthrough suggests a new approach to precision medicine in cancer treatment.
Blood stem cells bud off from aorta, circulate until finding niche, then attach to vessel wall and interact with endothelial cells. The process involves chemical signals, cell attachment, and division to form blood system in zebrafish and possibly humans.
A new technique allows scientists to trace and spatially map 'mosaic' mutations in the brain, providing a significant advance for genetics research. This capability enables the study of both normal brains and brain disorders such as epilepsy and autism, offering new avenues for investigation.
A multicenter study led by Boston Children's Hospital found that implementing the I-PASS bundle can reduce hospital medical errors by 30%, improving safety and quality of care. The study was conducted at nine medical centers, where healthcare providers used a standardized communication system to share patient information.
The Boston Children's Hospital-led consortium aims to launch clinical trials for new treatments and develop biomarkers to monitor treatment effectiveness. The study will enroll patients with rare genetic syndromes causing ASD/ID, such as tuberous sclerosis complex, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, and PTEN mutations.
The largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) to date identifies over 400 gene regions influencing height, explaining about 20 percent of heritability. The study's findings prioritize many genes and pathways as important in skeletal growth during childhood, shedding light on the biology of height.
A new deep sequencing approach has identified subtle somatic mutations in patients with brain disorders, revealing previously missed genetic causes. The technique complements whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing, enabling the detection of mutations in as few as 10% of patients' blood cells.
A new computer algorithm called CellNet has been created to guide stem cell medicine by providing a 'quality assurance' measure for lab-created cells. The algorithm assesses the complex network of genes in engineered cells, comparing them to their real-life counterparts, and provides guidance on improving the engineering process.
Researchers found that only five trials were focused specifically on drug safety, and 14 drugs were approved without condition-specific trials or trials in children. The study calls for increased regulatory emphasis on long-term safety and efficacy, particularly for chronic use medications.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital found that musical training improves executive functioning in both children and adults. Musically trained individuals showed enhanced performance on cognitive tests and increased activation of specific brain areas associated with executive function.
Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have made a significant breakthrough in regenerative medicine by reprogramming mature blood cells into blood-forming hematopoietic stem cells. The induced blood-forming stem cells (iHSCs) have functional hallmarks of HSCs and can give rise to all cellular components of the blood.