Archive for pulmonology
Making ionocytes: A step toward cell or gene therapy for cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators were a breakthrough for cystic fibrosis, improving the movement of chloride and water and moistening mucus secretions. But these drugs are expensive, don’t work in all patients with cystic fibrosis, and have side effects and interactions with other drugs. People who do respond to CFTR modulators must take ... Read More about Making ionocytes: A step toward cell or gene therapy for cystic fibrosis
Study seeks to identify household triggers for chronic lung disease in children
Home is where the heart is, but it’s also where air pollutants, allergens, and other irritants can make breathing difficult for children with the chronic lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). BPD is the most common respiratory disease affecting children who were born prematurely. It leads to impaired lung function and respiratory symptoms similar to those associated ... Read More about Study seeks to identify household triggers for chronic lung disease in children
Reconstructing a chest wall, one virtual step at a time
It takes a village of clinicians and engineers to reconstruct a chest wall. It also takes a lot of 3D modeling. A young girl needed to have her chest wall restructured to stop life-threatening airway obstruction. To ensure the complicated operation would be efficient, Emily Eickhoff, a Boston Children’s biomedical engineer, partnered with a team ... Read More about Reconstructing a chest wall, one virtual step at a time
A heart valve that grows along with a child could reduce invasive surgeries
Clinical trials have started for the first prosthetic pulmonary valve replacement that is specifically designed for pediatric patients and can expand over time inside a child’s anatomy. Instead of having invasive replacement surgeries every few years, as is the practice now, a child can have the valve fitted to their individual body size and, if ... Read More about A heart valve that grows along with a child could reduce invasive surgeries
With support for genetic condition trisomy 18, Brooklyn ‘tells her own story’
Erin and Tim Haggan quickly realized they would always be seeking answers after learning the child they were expecting had trisomy 18. It is a life-threatening chromosomal condition, and only about 10 percent of children live beyond their first year. Those who survive grow slowly and often have congenital heart defects (CHD) and other organ anomalies. The couple ... Read More about With support for genetic condition trisomy 18, Brooklyn ‘tells her own story’
Optimizing care for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, infant by infant
Preterm newborns with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) can require ongoing mechanical ventilation to support their lungs. But babies with BPD aren’t just newborns with underdeveloped lungs. Each has a unique presentation. And every part of their care is important, with the ultimate goal of enabling them to grow, develop, and go home to their families. The ... Read More about Optimizing care for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, infant by infant
Bringing Xavien home: One family’s journey with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Xavien Velazquez is getting ready to celebrate his first birthday. It’s a milestone for every child but especially meaningful for this little boy who has spent more than half his life away from home receiving care for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease characterized by respiratory distress that is most often seen in newborns ... Read More about Bringing Xavien home: One family’s journey with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Cell therapy for lung disease? Proof-of-concept study shows promise
Many serious pulmonary diseases, including genetic lung diseases, lack an effective treatment other than the most extreme: lung transplant. A team at Boston Children’s Hospital envisions a much better option: cell therapy, using lung stem cells created from patients’ own cells to repair or replace damaged lung tissue. For patients with genetic lung diseases, the ... Read More about Cell therapy for lung disease? Proof-of-concept study shows promise
Real-time genomic surveillance of bacteria could improve antibiotic therapy
Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are increasingly hard to treat, causing more than a million deaths annually around the world. Hospitalized patients with pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, or abdominal infections are especially at risk. Like a game of Whac-A-Mole, bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance mutations within days of starting an antibiotic, only to be replaced ... Read More about Real-time genomic surveillance of bacteria could improve antibiotic therapy
A respiratory model of COVID-19, made from patients’ own cells
What happens in our respiratory tract once COVID-19 invades? A three-dimensional airway model, made from patient-derived stem cells, could provide answers about the initial stages of infection. The model not only replicates the infection process, but can be used to test potential antiviral drugs. Ruby Wang, MD, attending physician in Boston Children’s Division of Pulmonary ... Read More about A respiratory model of COVID-19, made from patients’ own cells