Research Blog
Published on December 9, 2014
-Pat Levitt, PhD, Simms/Mann Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
In the newest episode of Nature’s Neuropsychopharmacology BRAINPOD podcast, Levitt discusses the how the perceived relationship between neurodevelopmental disorders and adult... Read More
Published on November 26, 2014
The images above show exact replicas of a young patient’s heart—ventricular hole and all. Physicians at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles used these 3D-printed models to help plan for the complex surgery.
Bruce Hensel from NBC4 explains: Read More
Published on November 24, 2014
After immunofluorescence staining, myelin proteins in the visual cortex shine like a fiery sunset.
Image courtesy of Aaron McGee, PhD, investigator in the Developmental Neuroscience Program at The Saban Research Institute Read More
Published on November 12, 2014
Image courtesy of Lily Chao, MD, from the Division of Endocrinology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
What do the leaps of a basketball player and the pirouette of a ballerina have in common? Both motions rely heavily on the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle, which allows us... Read More
Published on November 10, 2014
Using three-dimensional brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Yi Lao, MS, Natasha Lepore, PhD, and colleagues analyzed the structure and neural circuitry of two specific areas of the brain in 17 preterm and 19 term-born babies. Their results were published online... Read More
Published on November 7, 2014
Researchers are hoping to achieve long-term remission for newborns infected with HIV with the start of a new NIH-funded clinical trial, as announced earlier this week. An international expert in pediatric HIV infection and transmission, Grace Aldrovandi, MD, CM, Chief of the... Read More
Published on November 5, 2014
A walking lane, electrodes, treadmills and cameras are scattered throughout the John C. Wilson Jr. Motion and Sports Analysis Laboratory at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Not your “typical” lab setting, this equipment enables bioengineer Tishya A. L. Wren, PhD, and... Read More
Published on October 30, 2014
Evaluation of pediatric patients before and after surgery suggests optimal duration of chemotherapy treatment may vary from current standard of care
A study of pediatric patients with hepatoblastoma led by researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) suggests an... Read More
Published on October 29, 2014
Did you know that nearly 40 percent of children with autism also have gastrointestinal (GI) disorders? These disorders can range from chronic diarrhea to irritable bowel syndrome, but an estimated 80 percent of the co-afflicted children experience severe constipation. Unable... Read More
Published on October 22, 2014
In Los Angeles, driving is more than a convenience; it’s a way of life. From the way we give directions (whatever you do, avoid rush-hour on the 405!) to the time we allot to get to dinner (be sure to leave by 5 for a 7 o’clock reservation), traffic is always center of mind.... Read More
Published on October 17, 2014
Image: Tissue-engineered esophagus, courtesy of The Saban Research Institute
In a first step toward future human therapies, researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have shown that esophageal tissue can be grown in vivo from both... Read More
Published on October 16, 2014
Image: T cells in the blood
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, affecting over 6,000 kids and young adults each year. Approximately 90% of B-ALL patients will achieve remission through traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy and... Read More
Published on October 15, 2014
By using a special microscope–and channeling Rob Thomas–in the Translational Biomedical Imaging Lab (TBIL) at The Saban Research Institute, Rusty Lansford, PhD, is able to record each heart cell as a living embryo grows and develops.
What am I looking at?
You are... Read More
Published on October 13, 2014
Biology is Beautiful
This week, the Federation of Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) announced their 2014 BioArt winners. Among the winners were captivating still and video images that depicted fungal-host interactions, bone development and healing, mapping neurons in... Read More
Published on October 8, 2014
In recognition of today, we’d like to share with you how Senta Georgia, PhD, is using stem cells to develop new therapies for patients with diabetes.
“Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, your body is not making enough insulin,” explains Georgia. “Our lab is working on... Read More
Published on September 30, 2014
Image: Immune cell attacking cancer cell
There are natural killers in all of us—natural killer cells that is. A critical component of the innate immune system, “NK” cells are specialized white blood cells that are preprogrammed to kill virus-infected cells and tumors. But this... Read More
Published on September 26, 2014
Twenty-five year old Brandon Smith doesn’t look chronically ill. After all, he’s 6’4,210 lbs., can bench 355 lbs., and describes some of his favorite activities as “hitting the gym and lifting weights.” But at two years old, Brandon was diagnosed with sickle cell disease by... Read More
Published on September 24, 2014
Top image: Cone precursor cells, the photoreceptor cells of the retina that detect color, are in green. The red identifies the Rb protein that is expressed in these cells. This protein is needed to suppress development of retinoblastoma. Bottom image: Cones are again in green... Read More
Published on September 17, 2014
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a specialized fat that produces energy in the form of heat in order to tolerate exposure to cold. That’s why bears have ample supplies of brown fat, and why researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and elsewhere are studying the possible... Read More
Published on September 12, 2014
It’s important to remember, especially in young children, that disease doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We always knew that history and context affected disease development and outcome, but we’re just starting to get a handle on how much. Read More