At one of the world’s leading research hospitals for children, Johns Hopkins clinicians and researchers continue to break new ground in the study of childhood disease and injury, developing tomorrow’s best hopes for healing and cures. A few research highlights from 2015:
Re-Growing Gut Lining
A new study in dogs brings researchers closer to creating an implantable intestine as replacement therapy for a range of devastating disorders in humans - including infections, cancer and trauma - that result in loss or death of gut tissue.
Successful Treatment of Drug-Resistant TB in a Child
Specialists successfully treat and put in remission a child with a highly virulent form of tuberculosis known as XDR TB, or extensively drug-resistant TB. The case, researcher Sanjay Jain says, provides the first detailed account of a young child in the U.S. diagnosed and treated for this form of TB.
Center for Intestinal Rehabilitation and Cure Using Science (CIRCUS)
A new center opens for the care of children with short bowel syndrome/intestinal failure, and research continues to improve existing bowel function and develop artificial intestines.
Lithium Safe, Effective for Children with Bipolar Disease
This multicenter study of young patients with bipolar disorder provides what may be the most scientifically rigorous demonstration to date that lithium — a drug used successfully for decades to treat adults with the condition — can also be safe and effective for children.
Rethinking the Epidemic of Asthma
Urban living may be overrated as a risk factor for asthma, researchers find. A study of more than 23,000 U.S. children reveals that income, race and ethnic origin may play far more potent roles in asthma risk than children’s physical surroundings.
Key Target Revealed for Therapy of Aggressive Pediatric Brain Cancer
Working with cells taken from children with a very rare but ferocious form of brain cancer, scientists have identified a genetic pathway that acts as a master regulator of thousands of other genes and may spur cancer cell growth and resistance to anticancer treatment.
Ending Health Barriers to Academic Success
A new research endeavor – the Ruth and Norman Rales Center for the Integration of Health and Education – is designed to help Baltimore City schoolchildren from economically disadvantaged communities achieve their full academic potential, with a boost in their overall health.