Pediatrics News and Research

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Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. The age limit of such patients ranges from birth to 18. In countries where the age of majority is 18, this age limit may be from birth to age 17 (such as in Canada). A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician.

New Proof-of-Concept Model for Delivering Gene Editing Tools to Treat Blood Disorders

In a step forward in the development of genetic medicines, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a proof-of-concept model for delivering gene editing tools to treat blood disorders, allowing for the modification of diseased blood cells directly within the body.

28 Jul 2023

Nasal Swab Proves to Determine the Effectiveness of Antibiotics

According to a recent JAMA study by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, a nasal swab to screen for three types of bacteria can reveal whether or not antibiotics are likely to be beneficial in children with suspected sinusitis.

26 Jul 2023

Glucose-Sensing Neurons May Play a Role in Regulating Blood Sugar

The body's blood glucose level needs to be maintained in a relatively narrow range. It cannot be too high, as it can lead to diabetes, and it cannot be too low because it can cause fainting or even death.

12 Jul 2023

Whole Genome Sequencing More Effective Than Targeted Gene Sequencing in Detecting Genetic Disorders

A new national study, led by researchers at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, has found whole genome sequencing (WGS) to be nearly twice as effective as a targeted gene sequencing test at identifying abnormalities responsible for genetic disorders in newborns and infants.

12 Jul 2023

Newly Found Disease Links Disruptions of Blood Formation, Immune System and Inflammation

In the quest to find the origin of the puzzling symptoms in four children, researchers from St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), and the Medical University of Vienna have discovered a completely new disease, linking disruptions of blood formation, the immune system, and inflammation.

22 Jun 2023

Study Shows How Excess Dietary Sugar Worsens IBD Symptoms

Excess sugar hampers cells that renew the colon's lining in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a new study by University of Pittsburgh scientists.

23 May 2023

New Insights on Cases of Post-Vaccine Heart Inflammation

Public health experts discovered an increase in cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of heart muscle, after the introduction of the new COVID-19 vaccinations two years ago, particularly in young males who had received mRNA vaccines.

8 May 2023

New Approach Could Power the Development of Advanced Cell Therapies

A new approach to the genetic engineering of cells promises significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and reduction in cellular toxicity compared to current methods.

2 May 2023

Mind-Body Connection is More Than Just an Abstraction

Calm body, calm mind, say the practitioners of mindfulness. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that the idea that the body and mind are inextricably intertwined is more than just an abstraction.

20 Apr 2023

Researchers Identify Antibody that may Block Infection by All Dominant SARS-CoV-2 Variants

A team led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Scripps Research and the University of Chicago has identified an antibody that appears to block infection by all dominant variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, including Omicron, the most recent.

10 Apr 2023

Innovative new approach to constructing a nose in young patients with arhinia

Congenital arhinia (meaning patients born without a nose) is a rare condition associated with high mortality if not identified.

24 Mar 2023

Decreased viral infection severity in females linked to extra copy of epigenetic regulator

It has long been known that viral infections can be more severe in males than females, but the question as to why has remained a mystery – until possibly now.

20 Mar 2023

Novel newborn screening test for HCU works by measuring homocysteine levels

Scientists have developed a test that could greatly improve quality of life for infants with homocystinuria (HCU)-;a congenital disease that, if not treated early, causes serious complications. Research demonstrating the efficacy of this test was published today in AACC's Clinical Chemistry journal.

16 Mar 2023

Study identifies a novel rare mutation in gene linked to Harlequin Ichthyosis

Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is a severe genetic skin disorder characterized by thick white, brown, or dark brown patches on the skin covering a newborn's entire body. HI has a low incidence of 1 per 300,000 live births but comes with the highest mortality rate among skin conditions. It is caused by a mutation in the ABCA12 gene, which codes for a protein involved in transporting lipids necessary for the formation of the skin barrier. Such protein shortage leads to a weaker epidermal barrier.

9 Mar 2023

Using nanoparticles to carry drugs across the blood-brain barrier

Brain tumors are notoriously hard to treat. One reason is the challenge posed by the blood-brain barrier, a network of blood vessels and tissue with closely spaced cells.

3 Mar 2023

SXSW 2023 to focus on the critical role microbes in human health

Rebecca Bart, PhD, member at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and her colleagues from Washington University in St. Louis will be featured on a global stage at South by Southwest on March 11 at 2:30 PM at the JW Marriott, Austin Texas.

28 Feb 2023

Study elucidates the cellular changes caused by exposure to adversity during childhood

A new brain connection discovered by University of California, Irvine researchers can explain how early-life stress and adversity trigger disrupted operation of the brain's reward circuit, offering a new therapeutic target for treating mental illness. Impaired function of this circuit is thought to underlie several major disorders, such as depression, substance abuse and excessive risk-taking.

28 Feb 2023