Intestinal Research
Laboratory Research
Valeria Cohran, MD, Medical Director of the Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplantation Program, is currently engaged in laboratory research into intestinal stem cell activation and its role in the adaptive process in the intestine after resection. A large number of patients who have undergone an intestinal resection become dependent on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), which can lead to multiple, potentially fatal complications. Dr. Cohran’s research could offer new insight into how to enhance the poorly understood intestinal adaptive process and improve the outcomes for these patients.
Clinical Research
In the area of clinical research, Children’s Memorial Hospital is one of 15 centers in North America participating in the Pediatric Intestinal Failure Consortium (PIFCON). This study aims to retrospectively and prospectively study the pediatric intestinal failure population, including the medical, surgical, nutritional, and therapeutic management of those patients. Another aim of this collaborative effort is to create a multi-center registry of patients with intestinal failure.
Riccardo Superina, MD, Co-director of the Siragusa Transplantation Center, is site principal investigator for this study.