Research Blog
Published on April 25, 2016
In 2009, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for the
discovery of telomerase, a previously little known protein that plays a key role
in preventing damage to chromosomal DNA.“One of the recipients of the Nobel Prize, Dr. Elizabeth
Blackburn, reminded us then that we are all... Read More
Published on April 21, 2016
Probiotics, bacteria believed to be beneficial for health,
are thought to help with various gastrointestinal issues. A recent nationwide study
published in the American Journal of
Infection Control found it is common for hospitals to prescribe probiotics
to patients with a... Read More
Published on April 19, 2016
Cultured retinoblastoma tumor containing tumor cells (red) and fibroblasts (green). Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have demonstrated that targeting survivin – a protein that inhibits apoptosis or cell death –... Read More
Published on April 13, 2016
A staple of pediatric healthcare, antibiotics are the most
prescribed medication for children. However, the long-term effects of these
medications remain relatively unknown. Last month, two studies looked into the
links between antibiotic use and childhood obesity, finding... Read More
Published on April 8, 2016
Shedding epithelial
cells in the intestine. Image courtesy of Mark R. Frey, PhD, The Saban Research
Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.The lining of the intestine is the most rapidly-renewing
tissue in the body. Routine shedding of epithelial cells from this lining is a... Read More
Published on April 6, 2016
Children’s
Hospital Los Angeles to Initiate Clinical Trial for Kids with
Treatment-Resistant LeukemiaResearchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will be
testing a new therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia using specially
engineered T-cells isolated from patients that can... Read More
Published on April 4, 2016
In a new editorial
published in JAMA Pediatrics, Johanna
Olson-Kennedy, MD, medical director of The Center for Transyouth Health and
Development at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles discusses disparities in mental
health in young transgender populations. A recent study,
also... Read More
Published on March 31, 2016
Here we see the development of the brain-pancreas axis during gestation. According to a new study out of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the hormone leptin alters neuronal growth between the brain and pancreas during embryonic development, which may play a role in the onset... Read More
Published on March 29, 2016
Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a condition where the areas
of the skin are inflamed, resulting in symptoms ranging from redness to severe
rashes and blisters. The specific causes of eczema remain unknown, though the
condition has been linked to other conditions ranging from... Read More
Published on March 24, 2016
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Awarded $7.1 Million by CIRM to develop new cellular therapy to treat digestive
nerve disordersHirschsprung’s disease, where crucial nerve cells are absent in parts of
the gastrointestinal tract resulting in the inability to properly push food... Read More
Published on March 22, 2016
A new study out of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has found excessive fat in legs of children with a severe form of spina bifida suggests increased risk for metabolic disordersRepresentative
quantified computed tomography (CT) slices showing excess adipose or fatty
tissues (... Read More
Published on March 18, 2016
Despite
Increases in Screening, Study Finds Only 44 Percent of Pediatricians Inquire
about Maternal DepressionMaternal depression affects
up to 40 percent of mothers with young children and can have many negative
effects on the infant and developing child including feeding... Read More
Published on March 14, 2016
Study suggests macrophage activation as
possible reason for differential bone loss in adolescent malesActivation of macrophages
– a type of immune cell which, in the bone, takes the form of bone-eating
osteoclast cells (above) – may play a significant role in bone loss found in... Read More
Published on March 10, 2016
Research suggests racism experienced in childhood can lead to
health problems later in life.While overall health has improved, from reduced infant
mortality to improved outcomes for a variety of diseases, racial and ethnic
disparities in health remain a significant problem that... Read More
Published on March 2, 2016
Comparison of
radiation exposure in x-ray based photon radiotherapy (left) and proton
radiotherapy (right). Image source: Taheri-Kadkhoda et al. Radiation Oncology
2008 3:4 doi:10.1186/1748-717X-3-4, Creative Commons
Attribution 2.0 Generic. Medulloblastoma, the most common... Read More
Published on February 29, 2016
Robert
Seeger, MD, division head for Basic and Translational Research of the
Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)
has been selected for the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pediatric
Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMC... Read More
Published on February 27, 2016
The Flint, Michigan water crisis raises concerns about the
effects of lead poisoning on children. According to the World Health
Organization, lead poisoning accounts for 0.6% of the global burden of disease.
Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of lead poisoning... Read More
Published on February 24, 2016
In 2006, researchers studying obesity stumbled upon a gene
called PID1 (Phosphotyrosine Interaction Domain containing 1). They found the
gene played a role in insulin resistance in obese patients, making it a target
for development of new treatments for obesity.Three years after... Read More
Published on February 21, 2016
A once relatively unknown virus has recently made headlines
as over 4000 cases of severe birth defects connected to the virus have been
reported in Brazil. The Zika virus is related to the dengue and west Nile
viruses and has many researchers scrambling to uncover both how the... Read More
Published on February 18, 2016
Children’s
Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Thermo Fisher Scientific have agreed to develop
a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based panel designed specifically for pediatric
cancer research. The assay would be CHLA’s first NGS panel designed to
target biomarkers associated with... Read More