Children's Heart Research and Outcomes Center

Check out this fabulous collaboration between the Serpooshan and Bauser-Heaton labs! See how they are using 3D printing to model patient-specific anatomies for better therapies. The best way to understand how diseases may develop in children is to look at them directly. This is only possible because of the amazing collaborations between Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Tech, and Emory University School of Medicine.

Thanks to our Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology patients for allowing us to collect data and consenting to these game-changing studies.

Frontiers | Patient-specific 3D in vitro modeling and fluid dynamic analysis of primary pulmonary vein stenosis IntroductionPrimary pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare congenital heart disease that proves to be a clinical challenge due to the rapidly progressive di...

See how we are using machine learning and acoustics to diagnose problems noninvasively before they happen. This work was funded by an anonymous donor as part of our 32N80W program of next-generation cures. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Application of Acoustic Sensing in Systemic to Pulmonary Shunts in Ductal Dependent Infants Using Deep Learning | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are birth defects that change the heart’s structure and blood flow. Patients with these conditions may require an artificially p

Check out our newsletter with exciting updates and important information.

June 2024 HeRO Newsletter Check out this US Letter designed by Mary Anne Riley.

We had a great turnout for our summer mixer, talking science, life, and getting together as a research community!

The Serpooshan and Bauser-Heaton labs are raising money for this year's The Children's Heart Foundation congenital heart walk. Spread the word, it's not just about the research but how we move everyone forward!

Atlanta Congenital Heart Walk Placing Children at the Heart of Research

Just a reminder that while our center does extensive research on the physiological consequences of , we also have strong collaborations with the CDC to examine the social and psychological toll of heart disease on children.

Bullying among children with heart conditions, National Survey of Children’s Health, 2018–2020 | Cardiology in the Young | Cambridge Core Bullying among children with heart conditions, National Survey of Children’s Health, 2018–2020

Recently, we published in collaboration with UC San Diego the use of an injectable matrix at treating RV Heart Failure. This work, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has not only led to several great publications, but also to FDA approval for a clinical trial to be conducted at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine. More therapies for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology patients and hopefully around the country!

https://today.ucsd.edu/story/this-injectable-hydrogel-mitigates-damage-to-the-right-ventricle-of-the-heart

Myocardial Matrix Hydrogels Mitigate Negative Remodeling and Improve Function in Right Heart Failure Model: Highlights •LV- and RV-derived MM hydrogels improve RV contractility over time, preserve RV volumes, and reduce RV-free wall thickness.•LV-derived MM hydrogels improve RVEF.•LV- and RV-derived MM h...

Another paper from Dr. Xu's lab showing that simulated microgravity (SMG) creates better heart cells when they measure size, shape, and function.

https://rdcu.be/dACmj

This adds to their body of work that microgravity (or zero-gravity) can be used to make better heart cells. Dr. Xu just received more funding from International Space Station National Laboratory to send stem cells to space for more experiments.

What an amazing time hosting the Additional Ventures Cures Collaborative meeting. Always fantastic to host incredible scientists and their trainees as we all new cures for . Thanks to the coordinators at Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for helping put on a great event.

What good is 3D printing tissue engineered constructs if there is no way to track them once implanted. Read more from the Serpooshan lab and their creation of a 3D-printed construct with contrast agents as part of the scaffold for tracking them in vivo.

Leveraging 3D Bioprinting and Photon‐Counting Computed Tomography to Enable Noninvasive Quantitative Tracking of Multifunctional Tissue Engineered Constructs Advanced Healthcare Materials is a broad-scope journal publishing research on healthcare materials, devices and technologies, including biomaterials and nanomedicine.

Did you know that there is a journal/site where researchers can voluntarily post their papers before they are published? The peer review process can take months, and the research you are seeing in published papers was usually completed 6+ months prior. Check out this work from Dr. Jennifer Kwong, who studies heart development and how the mitochondrial genes can impact . This paper has not been reviewed yet, but contains interesting findings that can help the community.

Mitochondrial citrate carrier SLC25A1 is a dosage-dependent regulator of metabolic reprogramming and morphogenesis in the developing heart The developing mammalian heart undergoes an important metabolic shift from glycolysis toward mitochondrial oxidation, such that oxidative phosphorylation defects may present with cardiac abnormalities. Here, we describe a new mechanistic link between mitochondria and cardiac morphogenesis, uncovered...

An important part of doing pediatric heart research is getting the best models to test drugs and find out more about a particular disease. The Xu laboratory studies new ways to make more mature tissues, helping our ability to study complex in a dish. Read more about their recent work here:

https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13287-023-03554-7

We do a lot of collaborative work to address important problems. In this just released study, we teamed up with surgeons at Yale University to look at whether we could detect rejection in the blood with machine learning algorithms. We were able to detect in both mouse and human samples small vesicles secreted by T-cells during periods of rejection, and use machine learning to identify the best candidates for biomarkers. One more step away from biopsies! Thanks to Enduring Hearts for funding this important work.

Circulating T cell specific extracellular vesicle profiles in cardiac allograft acute cellular rejection There is a critical need for biomarkers of acute cellular rejection (ACR) in organ transplantation. We hypothesized that ACR leads to changes in donor-reactive T cell small extracellular vesicle (sEV) profiles in transplant recipient circulation that match the kinetics of alloreactive T cell activat...

Work from Dr. Lazaros Kochilas analyzes whether center volume plays a role in CHD mortality. It comes as no surprise that the higher volumes in a center, the less mortality in the immediate post-operative period. There was no difference in long-term mortality by center volume.

Procedure-Specific Center Volume and Mortality After Infantile Congenital Heart Surgery Regionalization of congenital heart surgery (CHS) has been proposed to improve postsurgical outcomes by increasing experience in the care of high-risk patients. We sought to determine whether procedure-specific center volume was associated with mortality after infantile CHS up to 3 years post-proced...

While the results from our stem cell trial won't be available until the study is over in the Spring, we were able to use patient genomics to try and model what benefits there could be in a small subset of patients. This computational approach could pave the way for personalized medicine and predictive models for pediatric therapy. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering

Statistical Modeling of Extracellular Vesicle Cargo to Predict Clinical Trial Outcomes for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Cardiac-derived c-kit+ progenitor cells (CPCs) are under investigation in the CHILD phase I clinical trial (NCT03406884) for the treatment of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Therapeutic efficacy of CPCs can be attributed to the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs). To understand sources o...

Single ventricle disease is a rare form of but accounts for a disproportionate share of mortality and long-term morbidity. One of the challenges is finding enough patients to run a true study to examine outcomes. This paper outlines how we are working with our collaborators across many centers to image the brains of single-ventricle patients and map neurodevelopmental outcomes. With these studies, we can understand the link between pathophysiology and long-term neurodevelopmental changes.

Single Ventricle Reconstruction III: Brain Connectome and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: Design, Recruitment, and Technical Challenges of a Multicenter, Observational Neuroimaging Study Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who have been palliated with the Fontan procedure are at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, lower quality of life, and reduced employability. We describe the methods (including quality assurance and quality control protocols) and challenges of...

Our stem cell program is an example of amazing teamwork. We just completed enrollment in one of our stem cell trials for HLHS, are beginning enrollment in another one, and have two more about to be submitted. It takes a fantastic team that includes our nurse coordinators, circulating nurse, anesthesiologist, scrub nurse, and surgeon to complete the procedure. That’s not to mention all the science and work that goes into getting the cells into the OR. Amazing teams at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and Emory University School of Medicine.

Here is an article hot off the press from Georgia Public Broadcasting regarding our stem cell trial for babies with . We have completed enrollment with our partners at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital and are now blinded until the trial is completed in the Spring. We are still enrolling for our other stem cell trials and have another in the works. Exciting times at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology for patients and research.

Researchers in Atlanta find cardiac stem cells can treat heart defects in newborn babies In an ongoing study, researchers with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are using newborns' own stem cells to repair congenital heart defects.

Many times, come along with other genetic conditions including Down Syndrome. Dr. Oster and his team looked at CHD survival over the decades and found an improvement in survival from prior decades in patients with Down Syndrome. This is likely due to increased surveillance and improved treatments for younger children with CHDs.

Narrowing the Survival Gap: Trends in Survival of Individuals with Down Syndrome with and without Congenital Heart Defects Born 1979 to 2018 To evaluate the hypothesis that childhood survival for individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and congenital heart defects (CHDs) has improved in recent …

As part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-funded Pediatric Heart Network, we often take part in large, multi-center clinical trials. Read about the newest trial designed to study the brains and neurodevelopmental outcomes of over 200 patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome across nearly a dozen centers.

Single Ventricle Reconstruction III: Brain Connectome and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: Design, Recruitment, and Technical Challenges of a Multicenter, Observational Neuroimaging Study Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who have been palliated with the Fontan procedure are at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, lower quality of life, and reduced employability. We describe the methods (including quality assurance and quality control protocols) and challenges of...

We have a robust outcomes group focused on the whole health of patients. Read our newest studies on neurodevelopmental outcomes of CHD patients and the need to focus on early intervention. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: Ten Years After the American Heart Association Statement Clinics in PerinatologyVolume 50, Issue 1, March 2023, Pages 53-66Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: Ten Years After the American Heart Association StatementAuthor links open overlay panelTrisha Patel MD a b, Dawn Ilardi PhD a b, Lazaros Kochilas MD, MSCR a bShow....

"Building public health practitioners’, health care providers’, and women's knowledge and awareness of the reproductive health needs of women with CHDs will help ensure optimal reproductive health outcomes for this growing population."

Our collaborative work between the CDC and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology highlights the need to think of as a lifetime condition and treat the whole patient.

https://bit.ly/chdresearch

Our collaborative team of researchers led by Dr. Chunhui Xu did a deep dive in to how alcohol exposure alters heart development. They looked at genes, proteins, metabolites, and more to create a more complete picture of how alcohol impairs developing cardiomyocyte function. Read more here:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/AC9JVGUV8JJCDCQJ79WH?target=10.1111/acer.15026

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology; Emory University School of Medicine

See below for sponsorship info for this year's Congenital Heart Walk. Great way to support vital !

We're thrilled to introduce the fundraising incentives* for our 2023 Congenital Heart Walks! 🤩👏 Look great and show off your commitment to and while helping us raise critical funds! 💕 Visit http://chfwalk.org/ to get started as a fundraising walker, team captain, volunteer, sponsor, or donor today!

*You must be registered as a participant to earn gifts. All Registered Participants who raise at least $75 will receive a 2023 Event T-Shirt the day of the event.

Big thanks to HeRO students Kenneth and Jay who accompanied Dr. Davis to Henderson Middle School career day to talk about pediatric heart research and biomedical engineering.

What a weekend! Many thanks to all the people who donated, and the Miracle at Georgia Tech students who raised almost $100k for Camp Braveheart and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology patients for the next generation of cures. Money raised goes right to and outreach. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Georgia Tech

Big thanks to grad students Jay and Kimmai for giving up part of their Saturday to do 3D bioprinting demos at the Dance Marathon. Almost $100k raised for CHD research and outreach!

Over the last few years, Miracle at Georgia Tech has given us over $500,000 for research and Camp Braveheart, directly benefiting Children's Healthcare of Atlanta patients. This weekend they will be dancing the day away again to make more miracles. Support them any way you can!

Dance Marathon is Saturday, March 4th 11am-11pm at the Exhibition Hall. The link to register is in our bio. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Our amazing imaging group is bringing tremendous innovation to clinical imaging for CHD patients. Read more below…

www.pedsresearch.org

Treating children with CHD requires a diverse team of experts involving surgery, cardiology, nursing, and anesthesiology. Here is a recent, collaborative paper from one of our cardiac anesthesiologists, Dr. Nina Guzzetta, on preventing clotting after bypass.

Influence of Fibrinogen Concentrate on Neonatal Clot... : Anesthesia & Analgesia BACKGROUND: Bleeding is a serious complication of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in neonates. Blood