The Research endeavors of the Division are highly aligned with the clinical care programs. Prominent is cutting edge research focused on biliary atresia and related disorders (J. Bezerra, J. Heubi). This includes investigation of molecular mechanisms of biliary atresia/cholestasis, development of new diagnostic tools, e.g., the Jaundice chip, studies on nutritional and steroid treatment after biliary atresia surgery and inborn errors of bile acid metabolism. Research programs related to liver transplantation (J. Bucuvalas, K. Campbell, M. Leonis, N. Yazigi) include investigation of patient and allograft survival, new treatments fro acute liver failure, gene polymorphisms that increase risk for renal dysfunction after transplantation and mechanisms leading to the development of hepatoblastoma. Programs related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGID) (M. Cohen, T. Denson, X. Han, P. Putnam, N. Shroyer, K. Steinbrecher, G. Tomer) include studies on inflammatory mechanisms of IBD, growth hormone treatment to decrease mucosal inflammation, genotype-phenotype correlations in IBD, molecular control of eosinophils in EGIDs, biomarkers of EGIDs and targeted anti-inflammatory treatment. Research programs related to intestinal failure and anorectal malformations (M. Bates, M. Cohen, J. Heubi, S. Kocoshis, J. Rudolph, N. Shroyer) include molecular control of intestinal proliferation and development, molecular control of intestinal apoptosis in animal models and transplant recipients, treatment/prevention of small bowel bacterial overgrowth, outcomes of intestinal transplantation, and diagnostic tests for fat malabsorption.
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