Institute of Child Health

Obesity can lead to a lack of vitamin D circulating in the body, according to a study led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH). Efforts to tackle obesity should thus also help to reduce levels of vitamin D deficiency in the population, says the lead investigator of the study, Dr Elina Hypponen.

A collaborative study led by researchers at the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) shows a significant reduction in the number of children diagnosed with epilepsy in the UK.

The world’s first research centre dedicated to understanding how and why arthritis affects teenagers has opened in the UK.

A team of scientists led by Professor Francesco Muntoni of the UCL Institute of Child Health has won an EU grant to develop and test a novel drug treatment for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The clinical safety trial, which is not expected to start before autumn 2014, aims to recruit 12 boys – four from the UK – who have a particular genetic defect which the drug will target. The first stage of the trial will focus on identifying the best drug formula to 'skip’ the area on the affected gene known as ‘exon 53’.

A centre bringing together the country’s leading clinicians and researchers to find effective treatments for children’s rare diseases has received a £10 million funding boost.

International researchers, including a team at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UCL Institute of Child Health, have discovered a new cause for thyroid hormone deficiency, or hypothyroidism. This common endocrine disorder is typically caused by problems of the thyroid gland, and more rarely, by defects in the brain or the pituitary gland (hypophysis). However, a new cause of the disease has been discovered from an unsuspected source and is reported in the journal Nature Genetics.

Better ways to tackle birth defects will be championed at the official launch of the Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre (BDRC) on Thursday 25 October 2012. The centre piece of the BDRC, based at the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH), is a newly built £6.5 million laboratory and office space dedicated to researching the causes of birth defects, advancing their diagnosis and treatment and preventing such conditions in the future. The BDRC build was funded through generous donations to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, as part of their ‘Bringing Research to Life’ campaign.

Wednesday 21st November 2012

Winter Garden, Balcony and Philip Ullmann Wing

Stem cells found in amniotic fluid can be transformed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells, according to a study published today in the journal Molecular Therapy. Scientists from the UCL Institute of Child Health and Imperial College London succeeded in reprogramming amniotic fluid cells without having to introduce extra genes. The findings raise the possibility that stem cells derived from donated amniotic fluid could be stored in banks and used for therapies and in research, providing a viable alternative to the limited embryonic stem cells currently available.

 abuse is outlined in a paper published in this month’s issue of the British Journal of General Practice. The method was developed based on a survey of 11 GP surgeries, led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) together with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the University of Surrey.

UCL is pleased to announce that Professor Rosalind Smyth FMedSci, Professor of Paediatric Medicine, University of Liverpool, Executive Director Liverpool Health Partners and Director of NIHR Medicines for Children Research Network, has been appointed to the post of Director of the UCL Institute of Child Health in the Faculty of Population Health Sciences with effect from 1st October 2012.The Dean of the Faculty of Population Health Sciences, Professor Graham Hart FMedSci, said: “I am delighted that we have secured the services of Professor Smyth, one of the UK’s foremost paediatric researchers and leaders, for this important position. The Institute of Child Health has thrived under the direction of Professor Andrew Copp for the past ten years. Having completed his term of office, we now welcome Ros Smyth as Andy’s successor, and I look forward to working with her in the Faculty of Population Health Sciences.” Professor Smyth said: “I am sad to leave friends and colleagues in Liverpool where I’ve worked for over 20 years. Being given the opportunity to lead the UCL Institute of Child Health is a great honour, and I am looking forward to building on the success of the Institute as Europe’s leading centre for paediatric research and teaching. Child health is a priority, nationally and internationally, and ICH, with its close relationship with Great Ormond Street Hospital, is at the forefront of innovative developments in this important field.”

Four generations of a single family have been found to possess an abnormality within a specific brain region which appears to affect their ability to recall verbal material, a new study by researchers at the University of Bristol and University College London has found.

Alissa Goodman has been appointed as Professor of Economics and Deputy Director of the UK Birth Cohort Study at UCL (University College London), a post which has been created jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UCL. Professor Goodman’s appointment signals UCL’s strong strategic commitment to life course and longitudinal studies within the UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences headed by Professor Graham Hart. Professor Goodman will be based at the UCL Institute of Child Health.

Children across England set to benefit from expanded national service

Children with drug-resistant epilepsy across England will benefit from a major expansion of specialist brain surgery and assessment, the NHS has announced today. 

Five medical researchers from UCL have been recognised for excellence in medical science by election to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Research carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UCL Institute of Child Health has identified that the gene causing red hair - melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) - is more common in children with Congenital Melanocytic Naevi (CMN), a rare form of birthmark.

The second paper in The Lancet Series on Adolescent Health addresses the social determinants that affect health in this age group. It concludes that the most effective interventions to improve adolescent health are likely to be structural changes to improve access to education and employment for young people and to reduce the risk of transport-related injury. But a wide range of other factors are also at play, including a country’s national wealth, income inequality, and the presence of safe and supportive families and schools. The second paper is by Professor Russell Viner, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London,  and Professor Sir Michael Marmot, University College London, and colleagues.

Prescription drug use during pregnancy is prevalent, however, not enough is known about the adverse effects they may have on the developing fetus, concludes a new review published in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG) today.

Researchers at the UCL Institute of Child Health have found a single gene variant, which increases a baby’s birth weight, but only if inherited from the mother. 

Providing clean delivery kits and improving birthing practices could halve the number of neonatal deaths following home births in South Asia, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital/ UCL Institute of Child Health report that five patients with x-CGD have responded to gene therapy, showing clear clinical benefit.  Patients saw a clear but temporary improvement in their immune system, which helped with their serious illness at the time.  However the correction of the gene defect was not permanent.

Announcement made on Rare Disease Day

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity today announces its ambition to raise money to build a Centre for Children’s Rare Disease Research.

New research carried out by a team at the UCL Institute of Child Health  has added weight to the argument for genetic testing of children before treatment with certain antibiotics. The use of aminoglycoside antibiotics can lead to profound deafness when given to children with a particular genetic make up. The study cost £30,617 and was funded by children’s medical research charity, Sparks.

Children who have bone marrow transplants are often vulnerable to dangerous viral infections.  A new technique using white cells from the donor has been backed by the Technology Strategy Board. 

There has been no consistent decrease in child maltreatment over the last two decades, research published today in The Lancet has found.