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Transcription factors, the tiny proteins that switch genes on or off in the nucleus of cells, are considered unreachable molecular targets for drugs attempting to treat medical conditions. Overcoming this challenge, researchers discovered a small molecular compound that successfully blocks a transcription factor and its pro-inflammatory and hyper-mucous activity in asthma. In a study published online April 18 by Science Signaling, scientists test a new compound they call RCM-1.

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Children may carry significant levels of nicotine on their hands just by coming into contact with items or surfaces contaminated with tobacco smoke residues, even when no one is actively smoking around them at the time. A study in Tobacco Control also reports the presence of significant nicotine on the hands of children was associated with equally significant levels of the harmful tobacco metabolite cotinine in saliva.

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Scientists partially re-insulated ravaged nerves in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS) and restored limb mobility by treating the animals with a small non-coding RNA called a microRNA. In a study published online March 27 in Developmental Cell, researchers report that treatment with a microRNA called miR-219 restarted production of a substance called myelin that is critical to normal function of the central nervous system.

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Scientists identify two signaling proteins in cancer cells that make them resistant to chemotherapy, and show that blocking the proteins along with chemotherapy eliminate human leukemia in mouse models. Reporting results March 20 in Nature Medicine, researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center suggest that blocking the signaling proteins c-Fos and Dusp1 as part of combination therapy might cure several types of kinase-driven, treatment-resistant leukemia and solid tumor cancers.

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The Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is a 24-hour emergency and information telephone service for anyone with concerns about poisons or drugs. In 2016, DPIC received more than 85,000 calls for assistance.

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Intestinal stem cells rejuvenate daily so bowels will stay healthy and function normally, but a new study in Cell Reports suggests they also age along with people and lose their regenerative capacity. Reporting their data online March 14, researchers suggest that reactivating the signaling of a key molecule lost in aging intestinal stem cells could restore healthy intestinal function in older people.

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Scientists identified a molecular driver of inflammation that may finally answer a key question about what causes mild systemic prenatal infections to trigger preterm birth. The finding is an important step to developing a treatment or clinical test for early detection of an entrenched global health problem, according to researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, who report their data March 9 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight (JCI Insight).

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As people get older so do the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that form their blood, creating an increased risk for compromised immunity and certain blood cancers. Now researchers are reporting in the scientific journal EMBO that the bone marrow niche where HSC’s form also ages, contributing to the problem. In a study published March 2, scientists in Germany and the United States propose rejuvenating the bone marrow niche where HSCs are created.

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Scientists propose in Nature blocking a molecule that drives inflammation and organ damage in Gaucher and maybe other lysosomal storage diseases as a possible treatment with fewer risks and lower costs than current therapies. Reporting their data Feb. 22, the international research team conducted the study in mouse models of lysosomal storage disease and in cells from blood samples donated by people with Gaucher disease.

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Genomic testing of biopsies from patients with deadly, treatment-resistant cancerous blood syndromes called histiocytoses allowed doctors to identify genes fueling the ailments and use targeted molecular drugs to successfully treat them. Researchers report their data in Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight (JCI Insight). They recommend the regular use of comprehensive genomic profiling at diagnosis to positively impact clinical care,

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Doctors have long understood that antibiotics that protect infants from infection also can disrupt the normal growth of their gut bacteria. However, a new study reveals that the consequences of routine antibiotic use may be deeper and longer lasting than expected. The study, published Feb. 8 in Science Translational Medicine, shows that short-term disruption of gut bacteria makes infant mice more likely to develop pneumonia. It also makes them more likely to die from it.

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Gastric bypass surgery helps severely obese teenagers lose weight and keep it off, according to the first long-term follow-up studies of teenagers who had undergone the procedure 5-12 years earlier. However, the two studies, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, show some patients will likely need further surgery to deal with the complications of rapid weight loss or may develop vitamin deficiencies later in life.

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Scientists report in Nature using pluripotent stem cells to generate human stomach tissues in a petri dish that produce acid and digestive enzymes. Publishing their findings online Jan. 4, researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center grew tissues from the stomach’s corpus/fundus region. The study comes two years after the same team generated the stomach’s hormone-producing region (the antrum). The discovery means investigators now can grow both parts of the human stomach to study disease.

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Cincinnati Children’s researchers report in Nature Immunology a new mechanism that controls blood cell function and several possible molecular targets for treating myelodysplasia syndromes (MDS) – a group of pre-malignant disorders in which bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells. MDS can lead to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-spreading blood cancer that can be deadly if not treated promptly.

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Researchers cracked the complete genetic code of individual cells in healthy and diseased human lung tissues to find potential new molecular targets for diagnosing and treating the lethal lung disease Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Scientists from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, in collaboration with investigators at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, publish their findings Dec. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insights (JCI Insight).

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Scientists report in Nature Medicine using human pluripotent stem cells to grow human intestinal tissues that have functioning nerves in a laboratory, and then using these to recreate and study a severe intestinal nerve disorder called Hirschsprung’s disease.

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In some good news for families of children recovering from complex pneumonia, doctors recommend in a study published by Pediatrics it’s better to send kids home from the hospital with oral instead of intravenous antibiotics. Appearing in the journal’s Nov. 17 eFirst edition, the retrospective study of 2,123 children at 36 hospitals found oral antibiotics are as effective as intravenous in managing residual disease.

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Researchers studying reproductive science identified a network of proteins often linked to cancer as also important to male fertility and the birth of healthy offspring, according to a study in the Oct. 18 online issue of Cell Reports.

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Mitch Stone was 11 years old when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. The University of Cincinnati football team "adopted" Mitch and helped support his recovery. Now 18, Mitch is a UC student rooting on the Bearcats from the sidelines.

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Developing blood cells are caught in tugs of war between competing gene regulatory networks before finally deciding what type of cell to become, according to a study published Aug. 31 in Nature. Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center report that as developing blood cells are triggered by a multitude of genetic signals firing on and off, they are pulled back and forth in fluctuating multi-lineage states before finally becoming specific cell types.

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Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center recently developed a way to assess middle and high school students’ risk of violent behavior at schools. The study included 25 students with behavioral changes from 15 schools in Ohio and Kentucky. The study results were published in July 2016 in Psychiatric Quarterly.

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Patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) develop heart complications and nearly a quarter die a sudden death. Now, researchers have linked malfunctioning molecular pathways to specific heart anomalies in SCA that result from progressive fibrosis and result in sudden death. A study published online this week by PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) reports the findings open a path to earlier non-invasive diagnosis and development of new targeted therapies to help SCA patients live longer with better quality of life.

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Recently, 35 children with ADHD completed the Cincinnati Children’s Summer Treatment Program (STP), a seven week program providing intensive behavioral interventions within a fun-filled camp setting. Children, ages 8-12, learn to improve social skills, manage frustration, and follow instructions while participating in sports and classroom activities.

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Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is leading the way as the nation’s health care system transitions to more integrated and patient-centered care, according to the 18th Annual Health Care’s Most Wired Survey. Cincinnati Children’s was named to the Hospitals & Health Networks Most Wired list for the fifth year in a row.

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Fireworks can result in severe burns, scars and disfigurement that can last a lifetime. Fireworks that are often thought to be safe, such as sparklers, can reach temperatures above 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, and can burn users and bystanders. Injuries most often occur on the face or hand, and burns make up roughly 50% of firework injuries.

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Researchers report in the journal Cell Reports a targeted molecular therapy that dramatically reduces the initial development of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in laboratory mouse models of the disease. The study, published online June 30, found increased levels of an enzyme called cdk4 in patients with NAFLD and in mouse models. Using two drugs that inhibit cdk4 in mouse models reduced development of hepatic steatosis – the first stage of the disease.

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An analysis of the results of a study of bariatric surgery and a separate trial of medical therapy in treating type 2 diabetes in teenagers with severe obesity shows that after two years of treatment, body mass index (BMI) and HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar control, are both significantly better with surgery.

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A study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggests a new therapeutic approach to treat the development of chronic kidney disease secondary to chronic heart failure, known as cardiorenal syndrome type 2. In the journal’s June 13 online edition, researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center suggest inhibiting G protein–coupled receptors (GPCR) could prevent renal damage in cardiorenal syndrome type 2 (CRS2), and could also prevent acute kidney injury (AKI).

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As the promise of using regenerative stem cell therapies draws closer, a consortium of biomedical scientists reports about 30 percent of induced pluripotent stem cells they analyzed from 10 research institutions were genetically unstable and not safe for clinical use. In a study published June 9 by the journal Stem Cell Reports, the multi-institutional research team reports on the comprehensive characterization of a large set of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

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An experimental model uses genetics-guided biomechanics and patient-derived stem cells to predict what type of inherited heart defect a child will develop, according to authors of a new study in the journal Cell. A multi-institutional team developing the technology – and led by the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute – reports May 19 it would let doctors intervene earlier to help patients manage their conditions and help inform future pharmacologic treatment options.

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Researchers have identified a potential marker of disease activity for a severe and often painful food allergic disease called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) – possibly sparing children with EoE the discomfort and risk of endoscopic procedures to assess whether their disease is active. Their study is published May 16 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers at the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders (CCED) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center led the study.

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Researchers report in the journal Cancer Cell an experimental therapy that in laboratory tests on human cells and mouse models stops aggressive, treatment-resistant and deadly brain cancers called glioblastoma and high-grade gliomas. A multi-institutional team led by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center tested a multi-step therapeutic strategy to shut down a gene long-implicated in the formation of high-grade gliomas called Olig2 and made brain tumors sensitive to targeted treatment.

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Kevin Cobb of Texas was born with a serious heart condition. For most of his 44 years, he has dreamed of completing a marathon, and it finally became a reality after recently receiving a heart transplant. This week, Cobb completed the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati in just over six hours.

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Scientists are teaching computers to figure out why people accept or decline invitations to participate in clinical trials. Recruiting sufficient numbers of participants is a current challenge in medical research that can compromise results or stop some studies altogether. Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center report April 27 in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association they are using so-called “machine learning” technologies to predict whether patients will participate.

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Researchers are developing a new drug to treat life-threatening lung damage and breathing problems in people with severe infections like pneumonia, those undergoing certain cancer treatments and premature infants with underdeveloped, injury prone lungs. Scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center report April 19 in Science Signaling the compound is based on their finding that a transcription factor called FOXF1 activates several biological processes that promote recovery from acute lung injury.

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Scientists report in Nature Neuroscience they have identified an underlying cause of dangerous immune suppression in people with high level spinal cord injuries and they propose a possible treatment. In the journal’s April 18 online edition, researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University write that spinal cord injuries higher than thoracic level 5 (T5) cause autonomic nervous system circuitry highly adaptable and develop abnormal connections that suppress immunity.

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With the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day quickly approaching, Mr. Redlegs made a short stop at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to get ready for the season.

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A novel mouse model of a highly lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) offers a new tool for scientists working to better understand this disease and research new therapeutic targets.

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This week is National Poison Prevention Week. Poisoning continues to be one of the leading causes of death nationally and in Ohio.

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Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center recently welcomed two facility dogs to the Division of Child Life and Integrative Care. The golden retrievers, Drummer and Leica, provide physical and emotional support to patients at Cincinnati Children’s as part of the Animal Assisted Therapy program.

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As part of a new effort to get more children prepared for kindergarten, Cincinnati Children's is working with community partners to ensure more children have a personal library of books by the time they turn five.

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Scientists show they can use electronic medical records and birth information to verify and strengthen an already suspected link between autistic children and pregnant mothers with obesity and diabetes.

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The biggest national game of the year is less than one week away and many families across the country are gearing up for game day celebrations.

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Exposure to high levels of small particle air pollution is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth – before 37 weeks of pregnancy, according to a new study published online in the journal Environmental Health.

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Researchers identified a molecular target and experimental treatment strategy for DNA repair defects behind Fanconi anemia – a complex genetic disorder responsible for birth anomalies, organ damage, anemia and cancer.

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A study of two opioids used to wean babies born in withdrawal from drugs their mothers have taken shows that buprenorphine is superior to methadone in reducing duration of treatment and length of hospital stay.

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Santa Claus visited patients at Cincinnati Children's through video technology.

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With the holiday season upon us, many people are looking forward to the food and gifts that comes along with the holidays. Dr. Amie Duncan, a psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, wants to remind families to take time to be grateful and reinforce gratitude in their children.

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As the nation watches the reports about the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, many people may find themselves feeling anxious, worried, saddened or otherwise concerned.

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A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds child care centers play a pivotal role when it comes to the physical activity levels of preschoolers. Yet few children get to experience outdoor recess time as it is scheduled. Only 3 in 10 children had at least 60 minutes of a full child-care day outdoors for recess, as is recommended by guidelines.