January 19, 2016

12016CancerCenterresearchersinside640The American Society of Hematology (ASH) recognized three researchers from Texas Children’s Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine for their work in advancing our understanding of disease pathogenesis and exploring novel innovative approaches for the treatment of pediatric cancers.

Dr. Rikhia Chakraborty, instructor of pediatrics and part of the Histiocytosis Research Lab at the Cancer Center, received a 2016 Basic Junior Faculty Scholar Award for her study investigating disease pathogenesis of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a disease that occurs when the body accumulates too many immature Langerhans cells, a type of white blood cell that normally helps the body fight infection. Scholar awards support fellow and junior faculty dedicated to careers in hematology research as they transition from training programs to careers as independent investigators. The award is for $150,000 over two to three years.

Dr. Maksim Mamonkin, a postdoctoral associate in the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, received a 2016 Basic Research Fellow Scholar Award for his study on developing targeted therapy to treat T cell malignancies. This research award will provide $100,000 over two to three years and will support transition from training programs to an independent investigator career.

Dr. Rayne Rouce, instructor in the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, has been named a 2016 award winner of the ASH and the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She delivered a presentation on her work, which focuses on immunotherapy for the treatment of pediatric cancer. She will also receive a $400,000, four-year grant to further her work.

January 12, 2016

11316FamilyFertilityCenter640

From exploring the metabolic factors impacting egg quality to the genetics of embryo implantation, researchers at the Family Fertility Center at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women are engaged in several studies to help infertile couples achieve successful pregnancy outcomes.

For couples struggling to get pregnant, often times their only hope is through in vitro fertilization (IVF) in which a healthy embryo is transferred to the uterus for implantation. If the window of implantation has passed – the crucial time when the endometrium or inner uterine lining releases chemical signals that allow the embryo to attach – the chances of getting pregnant are very slim.

“Until now, the endometrium was kind of a black box,” said Dr. William Gibbons, director of the Family Fertility Center and chief of reproductive endocrinology at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. “While studies have been done on embryos, limited research has focused on the important role of endometrial receptivity prior to implantation. With advanced technology, we can uncover innovative techniques to improve IVF success rates.”

In collaboration with Dr. Carlos Simon from the University of Valencia, Spain, Drs. Gibbons, Paul Zarutskie and Cecilia Valdes are exploring the use of Endometrial Receptivity Array (ERA), a biopsy that analyzes the DNA patterns of more than 240 genes in the endometrium to determine when it is the most receptive to obtain a successful embryo transplant. For some women, this fertility window can be earlier or later than the typical window of implantation.

“The cells in the uterine lining are constantly changing,” Zarutskie said. “No matter how healthy the embryo appears, if the embryo transfer happens when the endometrium is not fully prepared or has passed its peak receptivity, implantation will not occur. In this study, approximately 70 percent of women who failed to get pregnant after an IVF transfer of a genetically normal embryo were not at the implantation window.”

In addition to ERA, Dr. Neil Chappell is spearheading a study to see if marker proteins in cervical mucus can evaluate the optimal timing of the implantation window.

“As the lining of the uterus changes in the phase where it receives the embryo, changes in the expression of genes and proteins are evaluated via ultrasound or by doing a biopsy of the endometrium,” Chappell said. “Hopefully by examining cervical mucus proteins, we can eventually develop assays that can be performed in the office in a matter of minutes through a very low risk procedure like a pelvic exam.”

Additional research studies are exploring the impact of metabolism on egg quality and development:

  • Drs. Amy Schutt, Cecilia Valdes, Chandra Yallampalli and Farook Jahoor will examine the effects of protein restriction on egg quality before pregnancy occurs. In rats, a diet low in protein appears to reduce the egg’s ability to protect itself from damage by affecting the metabolic pathway responsible for producing antioxidants. This study will determine whether a diet rich in protein optimizes egg health and development.
  • Drs. Schutt and Jahoor will investigate the effects of obesity on female fertility by studying the granulosa cells collected during IVF. These cells feed signals to the egg during the maturation process. Their hypothesis is that obesity-induced inflammation and oxidative stress markers are increased in obese women compared to normal weight women, which may affect female fertility.
  • Drs. Zarutskie and Jessie Rubin will examine the impact of insulin and carbohydrate metabolism on the well-being of women in general, and specifically on their potential for fertility. Previous studies show insulin resistance can be present in lean and obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, indicating other factors may impact the imbalance in the insulin/glucose mechanism.

For women diagnosed with cancer, deciding whether or not to proceed with fertility-saving procedures before chemotherapy or radiation treatment can be difficult.

Dr. Terri Woodard, a fertility specialist known for her extensive work in fertility preservation, is developing an interactive computer-based decision aid for women with cancer. The website’s content will be driven by patient feedback obtained from focus groups and individual qualitative interviews, as well as feedback from oncologists.

“The website will contain basic information about different options that are available to help patients navigate through this delicate process,” said Woodward, who also sees patients at MD Anderson. “Even if patients decide not to do anything about their fertility prior to cancer treatment, just addressing these quality of life issues is crucial to ensure they make the right decision. This tool will help in this process.”

While these are snippets of fascinating research underway, click here to learn more about our Family Fertility Center at the Pavilion for Women.

102115SanjeevVasudevan175

Dr. Sanjeev Vasudevan will receive the 2016 Young Alumnus Award from the Baylor College of Medicine Alumni Association. Vasudevan is a pediatric surgeon and researcher specializing in pediatric cancers such as neuroblastoma, liver cancer, renal tumors and sarcomas.

The Baylor Young Alumnus Award is presented to former students under the age of 46 who make outstanding contributions to biomedical or medical science through clinical service, research, education or administrative leadership. Vasudevan completed his residency in general surgery and fellowship in pediatric surgery at Baylor and Texas Children’s.

Vasudevan, who is also an assistant professor of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, leads a robust clinical and molecular biology research program at Texas Children’s focusing on pediatric solid tumors, in particular neuroblastoma and liver cancer. Through his research, Vasudevan aims to find novel and less toxic therapeutic agents to improve outcomes for children with solid tumors.

“We are proud to be able support Dr. Vasudevan as pediatric surgeon scientist at Texas Children’s,” said Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Jr., Texas Children’s surgeon-in-chief. “I am confident his innovative research program will continue to provide many important contributions in the treatment of pediatric cancer.”

11316Harpavat175

Dr. Sanjiv Harpavat, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine, received the 2015 Jan Albrecht Clinical and Translational Research Award in Liver Diseases from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation.

His study titled, “Assessment of a Novel Newborn Screening Tool for Biliary Atresia,” explores a new strategy to detect infants with biliary atresia earlier.

Biliary atresia is the most common indication for pediatric liver transplantation in the United States and worldwide. The only proven treatment for the disease is the Kasai portoenterostomy but this treatment has variable success in preventing or delaying need for transplantation.

One way to improve the success of the Kasai operation is to perform it earlier, with Kasai operations performed in the first 30 days of life correlating with the best outcomes. Unfortunately, infants with biliary atresia may appear normal in the first weeks of life and are difficult to detect. Because of this, in the United States, infants with biliary atresia are diagnosed and treated after 60 days of life on average.

Previously Harpavat and colleagues showed that all infants with biliary atresia have high direct or conjugated bilirubin measurements at birth. Using retrospective data, they predicted the test could be very sensitive and specific for biliary atresia.

Now Harpavat and colleagues hypothesize that universal newborn screening with direct or conjugated bilirubin measurements could be an effective way to identify biliary atresia earlier. They will prospectively screen all newborns from 10 hospitals in the Houston area and south Texas to determine the test’s sensitivity and specificity. They will also perform a cost-effective analysis using data obtained from the screen. Finally, they will assay easier ways to perform direct or conjugated bilirubin measurements, using a heel stick instead of venipuncture, for example.

Harpavat’s research study represents a broad collaboration among many divisions at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, including investigators from Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Neonatology, Pediatric Surgery, Interventional Radiology, and Pathology. In addition, the group is working with public health experts at the University of Texas School of Public Health and clinicians at a large birth hospital in south Texas.

“Our goal is to improve outcomes in biliary atresia,” Harpavat said. “We are evaluating an affordable, widely-available, easily-interpretable test, that has the potential to hasten diagnostic times for infants with this serious disease.”

January 5, 2016

8515Drzoghbi175Dr. Huda Zoghbi, professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, and director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s, will be honored with the 2015 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science.

She is the 10th recipient of the award given by the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine to recognize women scientists with a stellar record of research accomplishment who have also mentored other women in science.

Prize winners receive an honorarium, deliver a Flexner Discovery Lecture, meet with Vanderbilt faculty and mentor Vanderbilt Prize Scholars – women who are pursuing graduate studies in the biomedical sciences at the medical school.

Zoghbi will receive the prize on April 21, 2016, when she is scheduled to give the Flexner Discovery Lecture at Vanderbilt.

“Huda Zoghbi’s progression from a young woman interested in science to one of the world’s foremost physician-scientists working on the genetic bases of neurological diseases is fascinating and inspiring,” said Dr. Lawrence Marnett, associate vice chancellor for research and senior associate dean for biomedical science, at Vanderbilt.

Zoghbi has been instrumental in finding the genes for Rett Syndrome, spinal cerebellar ataxia 1 and IMath1, which is essential for generation of inner ear hair cell.

She is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous awards throughout the years. She is committed to mentoring young scientists, and one-fourth of her former trainees are women.

bench-and-beside-Header2

Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your submissions and feedback.

December 1

Texas Children’s Fetal Center celebrates 400 miracles at patient reunion

Hundreds of families from around the country traveled to Houston to attend Texas Children’s Fetal Center family reunion. Since its inaugural event in 2007, the reunion provided an opportunity for physicians and staff to reunite with patient families who received life-saving medical and surgical care at our fetal center.

December 1

Texas Children’s awards pediatric pilot grants to 10 promising researchers

Ten promising researchers received the 2015 Pediatric Pilot Awards Research grants worth up to $50,000. The grants will provide initial start-up funding for research projects that have the ultimate goal of enhancing patient outcomes.

December 8

Dr. Mary Brandt elected to ACS Medical Student Education Committee

Dr. Mary Brandt, pediatric surgeon and director of the Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program and the Anorectal Malformation Clinic at Texas Children’s, has been elected to the Medical Student Education Committee of the American College of Surgeons, which addresses the educational needs in surgery for medical students during all four years of medical school.

December 15

Texas Children’s Special Isolation Unit earns award from Texas Department of Health Services

Texas Children’s Special Isolation Unit, the only pediatric-focused unit of its kind in Texas and the Southwest, was recently awarded the Texas Department of Health Services 2015 Texas Preparedness Leadership Award. The annual award recognizes exceptionally meritorious achievements in local, regional or state Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Healthcare Systems Preparedness Programs.

December 15

Texas Children’s Main Campus Urgent Care opens

1516MCUrgentCare300Texas Children’s recently opened a 4,100-square-foot urgent care clinic on the second floor of the Abercrombie Building, creating a system-wide solution to effectively manage the Emergency Center’s (EC) low acuity patient population. The clinic has a dedicated staff of physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and clinical support staff. The new urgent care has already helped lighten the load of the EC, seeing about 30 patients a day, or 25 percent of the EC’s daily patient volume. Wait times for patients with low-acuity illnesses also have decreased significantly.

December 15

Texas Children’s oncologists contribute to leading textbook in field

1516PoplackBook300Dr. David Poplack, director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, and numerous members of his medical staff helped write the recently published, 7th edition of Principles and Practice in Pediatric Oncology. This leading textbook provides the most comprehensive resource on the biology and genetics of childhood cancers.

 

December 15

Spotlight on Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program

1516achd300About 40,000 babies are born each year with a congenital heart disease, the most common birth defect. These children grow up with their conditions and are part of a growing population of adults with congenital heart disease. Texas Children’s Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program allows patients to continue their care at their childhood medical home as adults.

 

December 22

Heart Center experts present at Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society 11th International Meeting

1516PCICS300Intensivists, cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, nurses, and outcomes and quality experts from Texas Children’s Heart Center and Baylor College of Medicine served as presenters and moderators during the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society (PCICS) 11th International Meeting held December 9 through 11 in Houston.

 

December 22

Surgical Research Day 2016 to feature new poster session

Plans are underway for the sixth annual Edmond T. Gonzales, Jr., Surgical Research Day which will be held on May 6, 2016. At this session, poster authors will have an opportunity to present their research to reviewers as scoring takes place.

December 22

L. E. Simmons Chair in Orthopedics awarded to Dr. John Dormans

Chief of Orthopedics Dr. John Dormans was recently awarded the L.E. Simmons Chair in Orthopedics. Provided by the Houston Endowment in recognition of Simmons, who served as chairman of Texas Children’s Board of Trustees from 2003-2004, the purpose of this chair is to support orthopedic research, education, clinic program development and advocacy at Texas Children’s.

December 22, 2015

122315SurgicalResearchDay640Plans are underway for the sixth annual Edmond T. Gonzales, Jr., Surgical Research Day which will be held on May 6, 2016.

In addition to a half day of presentations, there will be a moderated poster session on May 5, 2016, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm. At this session, poster authors will have an opportunity to present their research to reviewers as scoring takes place.

Anyone involved in surgery-related research is encouraged to participate. The deadline to submit abstracts is Friday, January 15, 2016. Abstracts can be submitted here. For more information, call Research Administration at Ext. 4-3335.