With donor support, our researchers relentlessly pursue new cures and treatments for kids facing devastating illnesses.
Patient-driven Science
The first repair of a congenital heart defect, the first remission of leukemia and a groundbreaking treatment for sickle cell disease: These are just a few of the many research “firsts” we’ve achieved over the past 150 years to save lives. And we are far from finished.
Our commitment to cures
Our commitment to cures
Precision Medicine
Doctors have long wondered why children with the same diagnosis respond differently to treatment. The answer is in their genes. Our researchers are delving into the genetic underpinning of diseases and developing state-of-the-art methods to screen for these conditions.
For example, more than 300 genes linked to epilepsy have been discovered by our Epilepsy Genetics Program researchers and their colleagues worldwide. By pinpointing the causes, we can ultimately pinpoint the treatments for the 1 in 26 people affected by this complex condition.
Our experts are finding chemical markers in the body that could be used to identify disorders, such as endometriosis, transplant rejection and concussions.
And our scientists are examining how the body’s microbes can affect disease symptoms. For example, we’re testing a cutting-edge treatment for food allergies based on rebalancing bacteria in the gut.
Data Revolution
Boston Children’s expertise doesn't end in the lab or by the bedside. We’re at the forefront of data analytics and predictive technologies. Recent innovations include the world’s first artificial intelligence platform to predict suicide risk in young people and a brain-based tool to screen infants for autism. Our experts are identifying complex patterns from patient data and helping clinicians everywhere make informed decisions for the kids in their care.
Discoveries Benefit Adults, Too
Unlike adults, children are not subject to lifestyle behaviors like smoking or drinking alcohol that can contribute to disease, so our experts can more clearly see the root of their illnesses. And because many conditions begin in childhood, Boston Children’s discoveries pave the path to cures for adults as well as children.
A History of Breakthroughs
Across the 150-year history of Boston Children’s, our researchers and scientists have led the way in finding new treatments and cures for childhood illness. A few of our many “firsts”:
- 1948: Achieved the first remission of leukemia
- 1949: Developed the first polio vaccine
- 1959: Made a discovery to save premature babies from severe lung problems
- 1963: Developed the first measles vaccine
- 1983: Developed an effective treatment for sickle cell disease
- 1984: Performed the first liver transplant in an infant
- 2001: Performed the first successful repair of a fetal heart defect
- 2010: Treated the first patient with a new, lifesaving therapy for “bubble boy disease,” a rare genetic disorder
- 2017: Built an AI system predicting severe mental health conditions years in advance
- 2021: Designed the first prosthetic heart valve specifically for kids
- 2022: Developed a gene therapy to cure a rare neurodegenerative condition in children
- 2023: Designed and performed a groundbreaking brain surgery on a baby in the womb
Today
We’re continuing to pursue life-changing discoveries, including creating new drug-delivery methods, restoring hearing in children, and developing a new therapy to attack neuroblastoma, an often-deadly cancer.
With your generous support, we can save even more kids.