171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
800-424-MUSC
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June 2007
Letter From Our Chair
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L. Lyndon Key, MD
Professor and Chairman
Department of Pediatrics |
Dear faculty, Children's Hospital staff and other friends,
"May we always live in interesting times?" During this year, we have been feeling the pains of growing into a stronger and more vital children's hospital. Our inpatient and outpatient census has increased, with more admissions coming from the emergency department. A tremendous new surge in population growth in the north area of Charleston, Berkley and Dorchester Counties continues to expand the number of patients coming to MUSC. As a result, we need a new and larger children's hospital if we are to serve all children coming to us for service.
During this week's Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Telethon, it was made clear that we have made great strides in the treatment of childhood diseases. Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Cheng detailed how the Department of Pediatrics has utilized this knowledge of inflammation and anti-inflammatory agents, identified by Dr. Inderjit Singh, scientific director of the Darby Children's Research Institute (DCRI). Dr. Doe Jenkins, principal investigator on this project, has been aided by strong collaborations with the investigators from OB-GYN and radiology. The basis of treating inflammation in utero could revolutionize the care of children before birth, during delivery, and immediately after the birth. These projects are ideal programs to decrease morbidity and mortality in newborns. Based on the work in inflammation or insulin producing cells, Dr. Key, Dr. Singh and his research staff, along with Dr. Sarah Bingel have developed a treatment that could stop ongoing destruction of the insulin-secreting beta cells (the basis of the injury cause juvenile diabetes), could even halt the development of diabetes in patients found to be at risk. A trial is now underway using an investigational new drug license (IND) awarded to an investigator at MUSC. These discoveries led to a phase 2 trial, which has now become the basis of an FDA Orphan Drug Grant to prove that this strategy works in children. Dr. Bruce Hollis and Dr. Carol Wagoner, and Dr. Sarah Taylor have led to changing the normal value of vitamin D concentration that optimize bone density, fights infection, and prevents inflammatory disorders and cancer.
Projects such as the wonderful studies detailed above have developed because of the funds raised though the Children's Hospital Fund (CHF) to develop a world-class faculty and research team. Over the past six years the CHF has raised more than $18 million for research facilities, infrastructure, and recruiting in hiring new investigators and clinicians. An additional pledge to expand the neonatal ICU has been secured. Philanthropic and MUSC funds have been invested in research and in providing better care for children. Such an effort is unprecedented in the history of MUSC fundraising.
Most of the fundraising has been spearheaded by the Center for Advocacy and Development which works through the CHF. In addition, the Department of Pediatrics has helped to develop packages that have provided much-needed emergency funding for recruitments in neuroscience (both for Dr. Maria and Dr. Tuitte) and for new recruitments in oncology and cardiology. The infrastructure and talent in the DCRI has increased, not only research productivity in pediatrics, but also in developmental biology, neuroscience, rheumatology, medicine, and immunology.
Our goal is not only to treat disease, but to prevent disease. As the MUSC Children's Hospital expands, we need to enhance our ability to create and develop new innovative and collaborative funding initiatives. These programs will not only allow us to continue recruiting from among the world's finest physicians, but will allow us to build the facilities necessary to serve the children of today and tomorrow.
Sincerely,
L. Lyndon Key, MD
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
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