SHORT ANSWER Advances and Answers in Pediatric Health
High Fives
ENDOCRINOLOGY
Many pediatric endocrinologists at Children ’ s Hospital Colorado dually serve as faculty at the University of Colorado , and many have research programs that are supported by the Colorado Nutrition and Obesity Research Center , or NORC . As such , there was cause for celebration this year when it was announced that the University of Colorado NORC received $ 5.83 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health , extending a body of work focused on life course research to 25 years of continuous funding . World-class researchers will continue their work to identify early life and maternal health influences that will not only prevent obesity , but set children up for a lifetime of health . •
The Comeback Kidneys
ENDOCRINOLOGY
About 70 % of adolescents with type 2 diabetes develop diabetic kidney disease , or DKD , as they transition to young adulthood . But the mechanisms that contribute to DKD in youth-onset type 2 diabetes remain poorly understood . Such a complex disease requires an integrative biological approach to advance the field , yet until now , no studies have collected actual kidney tissue in youthonset type 2 diabetes .
So through a study called IMPROVE-T2D , Children ’ s Hospital Colorado pediatric endocrinologist Petter Bjornstad , MD , is working with interventional radiologists to safely perform ultrasound-guided kidney biopsies . In fact , he is one of eight Colorado researchers named to the 2020 Class of Boettcher Investigators , receiving $ 235,000 in grant funding for his work . He aims to detail morphometric , molecular and energetic patterns of early DKD in youth-onset type 2 diabetes . He ' ll validate the molecular and metabolic pathways he identifies with model systems and will leverage them as starting points for future drug development . •
Sniffing Out COVID-19
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
Basic science research on SARS-CoV-2 in adults shows that the virus attacks nerves in the nose called the olfactory bulb , causing a dramatic change in sense of taste and smell . It seems to be an early sign of infection , developing sooner than more severe symptoms . In fact , it ’ s sometimes the only symptom .
Little is known about how the virus affects kids . But , if similar to adults , could sense of smell be an effective way to screen kids before they start their school day ? That ’ s a question researchers at Children ’ s Hospital Colorado are asking , and they ’ ve secured $ 150,000 over two years to find out .
Led by pediatric otolaryngologist Sarah Gitomer , MD , the study is administering a 40-question scratch-and-sniff quiz to a sample of patients who ’ ve received a COVID-19 test from Children ’ s Colorado , regardless of whether that test was positive or negative . Researchers are hoping to learn how the virus affects kids compared to adults ; whether scratch-and-sniff tests can be an effective screening tool ; and if certain smells are more effective than others .
Based on findings , Dr . Gitomer says the ultimate goal would be to develop a simple test of 4 to 5 common smells for kids to identify before they go into school each day . Screening questionnaires can sometimes miss more subtle symptoms , especially in younger kids who don ’ t have a great vocabulary to describe things like changes in smell . A short scratch-and-sniff test could be an effective solution .
It ’ s been a collaborative effort to get the project to this point , she says , with essential contributions from across the Anschutz Medical Campus . That includes a pediatric ENT specialist , an adult rhinologist who specializes in the sinuses , an epidemiologist , an emergency medicine specialist , and input from specialists at the Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center at the University of Colorado . •
To read more about Dr . Bjornstad ’ s work on DKD in youth-onset type 2 diabetes , visit childrenscolorado . org / ComebackKidneys .
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