PEDIATRIC SURGERY: ENDLESS EVOLUTION

The advancement of child medical care both in and out of the operating room are a priority in the Pediatric Surgery Division at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

Division Chief Dr. Catherine Hunter was awarded a $2 5 million R01 grant in April from the National Institutes of Health for her research regarding necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This prestigious award will run for five years.

NEC affects 5-10 percent of all babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. It is thought to occur as a result of an immature gastrointestinal tract and abnormal patterns of bacterial colonization. In its most severe forms, it carries an 80 percent mortality rate

In addition to our clinical work, we study NEC in our research laboratory

We have been fortunate to have received support from the Oklahoma Adult Stem Cell Research Institute as well as the Children’s Health Foundation We have developed a human enteroid model, which is a mini sphere of the intestine that I can grow in a test tube to study the disease,” she said “We use many high-end molecular techniques to better our understanding and drive the field forward to find a cure for NEC ”

Dr. Hunter explained she and her collaborators have worked to try and cure NEC “We’ve had fabulous collaborations here and we’ve worked very closely with the Division of Neonatology within the Department of Pediatrics,” Dr. Hunter said There have been other researchers who have also recently received NIH funding in this realm at Oklahoma Children’s, which provides the Division with terrific momentum Dr. Hunter explained.

“We are truly taking a multidisciplinary approach. I think this work has the potential to have a hugely positive impact on our patients and teams,” she said “NIH funding is less common in the state of Oklahoma compared with some other locations, so it’s very exciting to get these types of awards for our state as well as for our division, department, and hospital.

Dr. Hunter stated she and her colleagues will continue to move the Pediatric Division toward the future. “We have a responsibility to provide the best care to our patients locally and regionally but I think especially with some of our research work this allows us to impact entire patient populations and have a voice on a national platform which I think is pretty exciting,” she stated.