Advancing Pediatric Heart Health Through Groundbreaking Research
The Division of Cardiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is committed to advancing pediatric heart health through groundbreaking research. Our mission is to uncover the underlying causes of heart muscle diseases in children and develop effective treatments to enhance patient outcomes.
Translational Research: From Bedside to Bench
Guided by clinical observations, our research focuses on understanding and addressing critical questions, such as:
- What factors contribute to congenital heart disease in infants?
- How do children develop acquired heart conditions?
- What biological mechanisms lead to genetic anomalies resulting in heart defects?
We explore the mechanisms behind congenital and acquired heart diseases by creating animal models that replicate these conditions. This approach has led to targeted therapies that enhance cardiovascular health throughout a patient’s lifetime.
One groundbreaking clinical trial led by Andrea Beaton, MD, demonstrated that prophylactic antibiotics significantly improve outcomes for children with early rheumatic heart disease. These findings prompted the World Health Organization to update its guidelines, and ongoing studies continue refining treatment methods.
Discoveries that Impact Across a Lifetime
Our research findings quickly translate into clinical practice, supporting families affected by heart disease:
- Cardiovascular Genetic Care: Comprehensive evaluations, genetic counseling and family risk assessments
- Fetal Heart Program: In utero diagnostics and pregnancy management for fetal cardiovascular abnormalities
- Preventive Care: The Center for Better Health and Nutrition helps at-risk children and families develop heart-healthy lifestyles
In longitudinal studies, Elaine Urbina, MD, identified risk factors for heart disease that begin as early as age 12 and persist into adulthood. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, her research is shaping prevention strategies to reduce heart attacks and strokes later in life.
Driving Innovation in Pediatric Cardiology
Innovation fuels our efforts to redefine pediatric cardiology. Using technologies like artificial intelligence, 3D modeling and genetic analysis, we are transforming the diagnosis and treatment of heart conditions.
- Global Rheumatic Heart Disease Screening: In partnership with Uganda’s Ministry of Health, we’ve implemented a scalable screening model that has identified hundreds of new cases, supported by a custom, cloud-based care registry now being piloted in six countries.
- Biomarker Discovery: Funded by the Leduc Research Foundation, we’re leading an $8 million international network to identify biomarkers for rheumatic fever, aiming to develop a point-of-care diagnostic test for low-resource settings.
- Industry Collaboration: Our work with industry partners provides natural history data to inform clinical trial planning and supplement FDA applications, driving forward the development of new treatments for heart conditions.
- Gene Therapy Trials: We currently are enrolling patients in multiple gene therapy trials and lead a multicenter collaboration examining the effect of novel therapies, including gene therapy, on cardiac disease in neuromuscular disorders.
- The Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network (ACTION) includes more than 70 pediatric hospitals across North America. ACTION’s mission is to improve critical outcomes for patients with or at risk of heart failure by developing an international collaborative learning health system. It unites key stakeholders, including patients, families, clinicians, researchers and industries. Cincinnati Children’s Heart Institute houses the operations team and data coordinating center, and many faculty and staff are active participants and leaders.
At Cincinnati Children’s, our dedication to research and innovation ensures that we remain at the forefront of pediatric cardiology, improving outcomes for children worldwide.
