Health-related Quality of Life, Caffeine Consumption, AIRFoundry, Inflammatory Memory

 

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia researchers measure quality of life for 12 months post concussion, and new funding enables CHOP to embark on developing artificial intelligence to optimize RNA research. Also in this week's news, scientists advocate for caffeine consumption regulation, and more below.

Psychological Risk Factors May Affect Health-related Quality of Life Post Concussion

Jamie Shoop, PhD

A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics expanded research on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in children and teens up to 12 months after concussion by examining psychological factors such as preinjury mental health, anxiety, depression, grit, and sleep disturbance. Findings indicated that HRQL was low during the initial phase of pediatric concussion, steadily improving over the following six months.

"Measuring quality of life after concussion gives us valuable data about the real-world impact of these injuries," said first author Jamie Shoop, PhD, psychologist in the Minds Matter Concussion Program. "Although these effects are temporary, providers taking care of children with a concussion should not overlook the significance of providing comprehensive support for not only physical symptoms, but also for cognitive and social-emotional symptoms following injury."

Patients enrolled in a specialty concussion care program completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing HRQL during the initial clinical visit. They completed follow-up questionnaires on a regular basis up to 12 months after that visit. Researchers from CHOP and University of Pennsylvania also collected control HRQL assessments from non-concussed participants for comparison.

They noted that depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance were two key risk factors associated with lower HRQL following concussion, demonstrating how concussion can have a ripple effect, impacting not only how a child feels physically and emotionally but also how they perform at school and in their relationships with friends and family.

CHOP Cardiology Specialists Advocate for Energy Drink Regulation in the US

Victoria Vetter, MD, MPH

Cardiology researchers at CHOP advocated for the regulation of highly caffeinated energy drinks in a commentary published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Victoria Vetter, MD, MPH, a board-certified cardiologist and electrophysiologist in the Division of Cardiology and Cardiac Center, and Maryam Naim, MD, MSCE, associate chief of Research and cardiac intensivist in Cardiac Critical Care Medicine and the Cardiac Center, called for energy drinks to be controlled in the United States, similar to other substances that affect youth and at-risk demographics, due to their high caffeine content.

"Despite studies showing the negative health impacts of highly caffeinated drinks and other substances, regulatory measures and transparent warnings remain inadequate," said Dr. Vetter, who is also medical director of the Youth Heart Watch Program at CHOP, which aims to prevent sudden cardiac death in children and adolescents. "We must regulate these drinks and educate communities to prevent a public health crisis, particularly with social media marketing targeting youth."

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against caffeine consumption by children and adolescents. Energy drinks can contain caffeine ranging from 50 to 505 mg per can, which is notably higher than the 71 mg limit for soft drinks, according to Drs. Vetter and Naim. The Food and Drug Administration does not currently regulate energy drinks in the same category as soda and food; therefore, the drinks do not carry adequate warning labels about potential cardiovascular effects.

Learn more in this CHOP press release.

CHOP Contributes to First-of-its-kind AIRFoundry for RNA Research

New funding will enable CHOP to participate in developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology that will optimize lipid nanoparticle delivery, making RNA-related research more accessible for researchers who otherwise would not have the opportunity.

In collaboration with researchers from Penn Engineering, Penn Medicine's Institute for RNA Innovation, the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez (UPR-M), Drexel University, and InfiniFluidics, CHOP will participate in the development of the United States National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence-driven RNA Foundry (NSF AIRFoundry). Led by Penn and UPR-M, the initiative is supported by a six-year $18 million grant for the creation of a "BioFoundry" that will focus on the production of RNA solutions.

"With NSF AIRFoundry, we are creating a hub for innovation in RNA technology that will empower scientists to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges, from healthcare to environmental sustainability," said Daeyeon Lee, PhD, the Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in Penn Engineering and NSF AIRFoundry's director in Penn's press release.

The facility will leverage AI to optimize RNA and lipid nanoparticle delivery vehicle manufacturing to supply accessible, cutting-edge RNA products to a broad community of labs, biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies. CHOP will help specifically to improve the design and production of lipid nanoparticles.

NSF AIRFoundry also seeks to educate and train future generations of RNA scientists through workshops and research opportunities, ensuring students and researchers from all backgrounds are welcome to contribute to and benefit from RNA research.

AML Inflammatory Memory in Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

Building on a recent study that demonstrated for the first time that hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) actively contribute to the inflammation associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during leukemic progression, researchers from CHOP and Penn described the implications of the active role of HSPCs in AML in a new research perspective published in Oncotarget.

AML occurs from mutations in HSPCs in the bone marrow, and leukemic blasts that remodel the bone marrow into a self-reinforcing leukemic niche have pro-inflammatory characteristics. Authors Ding-Wen Chen, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Kurre lab, Eric Wafula, PhD, a scientist in the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, and Peter Kurre, MD, director of the Comprehensive Bone Marrow Failure Center, explored whether inflammation in AML bone marrow could reprogram residual healthy HSPCs to retain an immune memory of AML inflammation.

Preliminary data collected from transcriptomic and gene expression studies as outlined in the perspective revealed AML-experienced healthy HSPCs develop a memory of inflammation. This suggests a potential epigenetic imprint of AML exposure that will spur further investigation on the long-term functional effects of AML patients in remission.

ICYMI

Catch up on our headlines from our Aug. 30 In The News:

• Researchers' Findings Transform Approach to T-ALL Diagnosis and Treatment
• Improved Accuracy in Crash-Reported Child Passenger Injuries Could Better Inform Safety Resources
• CHOP Receives 2024 Inno Fire Award for Cell and Gene Therapy
• Kristy Arbogast Champions Well-being for Children and Peers

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