CHOP Among Best Hospitals, Opioid Rx Rates, Ronald McDonald House Honors

 

This week In The News, we congratulate the teams who have contributed to U.S. News & World Report's recognition of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as a top hospital in the country for patient care. We're also highlighting studies on T cells and aging, as well as how opioid prescription rates for children differ based on a patient's socioeconomic status. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awarded CHOP researchers $10 million to develop a toolkit that will advance precision medicine. Ronald McDonald Charities honored two CHOP pediatric oncologists. Minds Matter researchers presented at an international brain injury conference. And two CHOP scientists have been included in an Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists.

U.S. News & World ReportNames CHOP Among Best Children's Hospitals

CHOP has once again been named one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

CHOP is proud to have once again been named one of the "Best Children's Hospitals" in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025. This is the 17^th straight year CHOP has received this distinction since the list was created in 2007. In addition, eight of 10 CHOP clinical specialties ranked in the top five, including the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, as well as the Division of Orthopedics, which took the No. 1 position for the second year in a row.

This year, the rankings included a new specialty: Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health. The top 50 programs in the country were featured, without an ordinal ranking, and CHOP is honored to be on this list as we work to tackle the growing mental health crisis among America's youth.

CHOP extends its thanks to all the teams who help us to deliver the best healthcare to every child who needs it, while forging deep connections with children and their families.

Visit CHOP's U.S. News & World Report coverage to learn more.

CHOP Researchers Discover T-Cell 'Clock' in Aging Populations

A CHOP-led team of researchers discovered a small group of cells in the immune system are linked to improved clinical outcomes, such as lower ICU admission and reduced risk of complications during viral infections. These T cells rapidly accumulate during childhood, peak around 27 years of age, and then decrease at 2% per year until death.

They belong to a subset of T cells called mucosal-associated invariant T cells, which recognize metabolites derived from gram-negative bacteria and can help with anti-bacterial immunity.

Using a newly developed computational framework, the researchers observed that these cells are linked to improved clinical outcomes: During COVID-19, they are associated with lower ICU risk, higher titer of neuralization antibody production, shorter hospitalization, and lower risk of developing complications in both adult and pediatric cohorts.

"We also found that these cells have less 'stemness' compared to other T cells, suggesting that they have gone through more proliferations and differentiations, potentially because they are quite essential and used a lot," said study principal investigator Bo Li, PhD, a core faculty member in the Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine.

The researchers also found that when an older individual receives bone marrow transplantation from a younger donor, these cells will be partially restored. Read more about the findings in Nature Communications.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Recognizes Yael Mossé and John Maris

John Maris, MD, and Yael Mossé, MD, have been awarded the Dr. Audrey Evans Award of Excellence.

For its 50th Anniversary, Ronald McDonald Charities awarded the Dr. Audrey Evans Award of Excellence to two CHOP pediatric oncologists for their "decades-long work in childhood cancer neuroblastoma research and their commitment to supporting families through their cancer journeys."

John Maris, MD, is an attending physician and the Giulio D'Angio Chair in Neuroblastoma Research, and Yael Mossé, MD, is a Professor of Pediatrics, as well as co-leader of the Genes, Genomics, and Pediatric Disease Research Affinity Group at CHOP. They were honored with the Dr. Audrey Evans Award at Lincoln Financial Field in September.

"I've seen families that uprooted their lives to move to Philadelphia just to get treatment from Dr. Mossé and Dr. Maris," said Mossé Lab Research Technician Josh Kalna, in a video honoring the physician-scientists. "They provide amazing family-centered care."

The Dr. Audrey Evans Award of Excellence recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the health and well-being of children. Dr. Evans was a pioneer in the study and treatment of childhood cancers and built a world-renowned pediatric cancer program at CHOP. It was her dream and determination that led to the inception of the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia in 1974.

Dr. Mossé and Dr. Maris lead a combined neuroblastoma research program focused on developing targeted, precision medicines for patients with high-risk forms of the disease. Learn more about their commitment to improving cure rates for childhood cancer in this Ronald McDonald House Charities video.

Innovative Technology Grant Accelerates Real-Word Data Integration, Interpretation

Allison Heath, PhD

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awarded researchers from CHOP's Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine (D3b) up to $10 million in funding for the development of a toolkit that will advance precision medicine through the secure, rapid integration of pediatric brain tumor data.

"In the technology space, D3b is on the front line of innovating new technologies that will benefit pediatric brain tumors and other rare diseases," said Director of D3b, Adam Resnick, PhD. "The architecture we're creating is poised to innovate on behalf of personalized medicine extensible to all healthcare."

RADIANTkids: Real-time Analysis and Discovery in Integrated And Networked Technologies will develop data architecture that's technology-driven for more comprehensive and accurate collection and interpretation of real-world patient data. Researchers plan to develop new workflows that will capture updates to patients' electronic health records using technology from the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center framework. This framework is a collaborative pediatric research effort launched by D3b, employing the standards of a fast healthcare inoperability resource, or FHIR. The platform will also employ large language models to increase the capacity of clinicians and researchers to query and interact with patient data.

Because pediatric brain tumors are the driver use case for this research architecture, D3b will leverage a network of more than 35 partnered healthcare systems and participating patient families within the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) and the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium. Drs. Resnick and Heath announced the grant and the project aims at the CBTN Summit held Oct. 9.

Learn more in this CHOP press release.

Study: Childhood Opioid Prescription Rates Vary by Socioeconomic Status, Race

White children and those who live in neighborhoods that are higher on the Childhood Opportunity Index (COI) are especially likely to be prescribed opioids, according to new findings from researchers in the Division of Orthopedics at CHOP.

The new study is a follow-up to prior research published two years ago in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery by the CHOP Ortho team, where researchers identified factors related to opioid prescription for routine orthopedic minor procedures.

"Despite a widely publicized public health crisis, the findings underscore an ongoing urgent need to improve opioid stewardship, especially with adolescents and young adults," said Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA, an attending pediatric orthopedic surgeon at CHOP who authored the abstract. "We must take every precaution when it comes to pain management and children. In most cases, non-opioids are effective and safer."

The team evaluated retrospective data on patients from 52 pediatric hospitals who sought treatment in the emergency room between 2012 and 2021 for supracondylar humerus (SCH) fractures.

They found that of the 35,452 children who were treated non-surgically, 30% received at least one dose of opioids in the ER. Children from moderate, high, and very high COI regions were significantly more likely to receive opioids compared to very low COI regions. White patients were 10% more likely to receive an opioid prescription compared with Black children. Patients 5 to 13 years old were 1.4 times more likely to receive an opioid prescription than younger patients.

The authors presented their abstract at the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida. Read more in this CHOP press release.

CHOP Researchers Present at the International Paediatric Brain Injury Society Conference

Christina Master, MD, Kristy Arbogast, PhD, Dan Corwin, MD, MSCE, and James Wilkes, PhD, MEd, attended the IPBIS conference in Glasgow.

Researchers in CHOP's Minds Matter Concussion Program presented on youth concussions during the International Paediatric Brain Injury Society's Fifth Biennial International Conference on Paediatric Acquired Brain Injury.

With the theme "Building a Better Future Together," the conference, held in Glasgow, Scotland, featured the development of innovative treatments, rehabilitation programs, support mechanisms, and methods to improve the lives and potential of young people affected by brain injury.

Since 2011, CHOP's Minds Matter team has built the leading concussion care center in the region with a robust translational research and clinical trial capacity embedded in various clinical settings with diverse patient populations. Its researchers have developed a comprehensive clinical assessment of concussion while introducing vestibular/visual rehabilitation and exercise testing and researching novel treatments such as heart rate-targeted aerobic therapy.

In Glasgow, Minds Matter Co-Director Christina Master, MD, presented on how functional near-infrared spectroscopy can be used as a diagnostic tool. Associate Director Daniel Corwin, MD, highlighted how socioeconomic status and community affect healthcare point of entry for youth with concussions. And Investigator James Wilkes, PhD, MEd, spotlighted the predictive value of exercise step test after pediatric and adolescent concussion.

"Across the world, there is groundbreaking research and investigation, along with implementation of clinical best practices — all of which are improving the lives of children who experience a brain injury," Dr. Master said. "Minds Matter was honored and excited to showcase our research that we aim to translate into clinical best practices that continue to improve health outcomes for patients and address disparities in care."

Members of CHOP's Division of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences also presented at the conference, including:

• Gayle Chesley, PhD
• Emily DiVirgilio, PhD
• J. Michael King, MD
• Amy Colin
• Jacqueline Conklin
• Emily Diliberto
• Sarah Jones
• Tami Konieczny
• Kathryn Schmus

Faculty Highlighted in Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists

Ana Cristancho, MD, PhD, and Xilma R. Ortiz-Gonzalez, MD, PhD, are among the faculty members included in the Fred Hutch Cancer Center's Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists. Dr. Cristancho is a child neurologist specializing in fetal and neonatal neurology, and Dr. Ortiz-Gonzalez is a physician-scientist specializing in pediatric neurogenetics.

The Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists is a grassroots effort developed to showcase the expertise, talents, and diversity of nearly 400 Hispanic and Latinx scientific researchers.

The database, which features scientists from around the country who were identified through a nomination system, is intended to increase visibility for Hispanic and Lantinx scientists to create community and expand diversity in conference speaker lineups.

The atlas traces its roots to a list of 100 inspiring Hispanic and Latinx scientists in America that was first published in the journal Cell in 2020.

Read more about the Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists on the Fred Hutch Cancer Center website. Know someone who should be considered for the list? Nominate yourself or someone else using these forms for faculty nominees or non-faculty nominees.

Learn more about Dr. Ortiz-Gonzalez's team in this Lab Life video.

ICYMI

Catch up on our headlines from our Sep. 27 In The News:

• CIGT Symposium Spotlights AAV Gene Therapy Breakthroughs and Possibilities
• CHOP Researchers Share First Evidence of Gene Therapy to Treat MSD
• Novel Nanopore Platform Offers More Efficient and Precise Molecule Detection
• New Findings Identify Facemask as Main Source of High-severity Impacts in Professional American Football
• Study Shows Chemokine Receptor Synergy Promotes Bone Marrow Homing

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