Bench to bedside in Neonatology

The overall goal of our clinical research programs is to translate scientific knowledge into better understanding and treatment of diseases in childhood.

Dynamic in vivo measurements of the tempo of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) gene activation over a six day time period in the liver of mice following in vivo transfection is shown in this movie. HO-1 is a key therapeutic target for the treatment of pathologic jaundice and has plieotrophic systemic effects with roles in immune regulation and stress response. This gene is developmentally regulated during the perinatal period. Having access to measurements of gene expression using the noninvasive assays developed in this laboratory has accelerated the study of intervention strategies for several disease states, and the understanding of physiology in the context of the living body. Watch the movie