CHOP Experts Share Cutting-Edge Innovations at Arab Health Exhibition

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Showcasing its longstanding partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Emirates Health Services (EHS), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) will exhibit thought-leading clinical research in the EHS booth at the Arab Health 2023 Exhibition and Congress, taking place this week in Dubai. As one of the world leaders in pediatric innovation, CHOP, in association with EHS, will showcase experts from CHOP's Divisions of Radiology and Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, demonstrating a novel, non-invasive, predictive technology to assess cerebral blood flow, intracranial pressure (ICP), and cerebral ischemia throughout the entire brain that result from critical injuries such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, cardiac arrest, and many others.

"Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has developed the world's first pediatric microbubble program," said Todd Kilbaugh, MD, attending physician in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, director of the Resuscitation Science Center of Emphasis at the CHOP Research Institute and medical director of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Center at CHOP. "This revolutionary, non-invasive technology is able to provide physiologic measurements in the brain and other organs better than any other imaging technology currently available."

Microbubbles smaller than 4 microns – less than the size a red blood cell – are filled with an ultrasound contrast agent and can easily slip through the narrow human vasculature. With the help of these microbubbles, for the first time, non-invasive visualization of blood vessels and microcirculation is possible along with the ability to develop microvascular maps of the brain and other organs, in real time.

In addition to their use in imaging, these microbubbles are also being studied by CHOP researchers for their use in targeted drug delivery for cell and gene therapies.

"Just as microbubbles can be filled with biologically inert gas to serve as a contrast agent, they can also be simultaneously filled with neuroprotective gas, drugs, cell-based therapeutics or gene therapy to deliver treatments safely and precisely," said Misun Hwang, MD, director of the Section of Neonatal Imaging and an attending radiologist at CHOP. "Ultrasound-guided release of microbubble contents can deliver therapeutic agents to the brain in a targeted manner, improving treatment efficacy and reducing systemic toxicity for patients."

The multidisciplinary team to advance therapeutic utility of microbubbles includes Daeyeon Lee, PhD, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and Chandra Sehgal, PhD, Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Arab Health 2023 marks the fifth year that EHS has invited CHOP to co-share its space at the expo, and CHOP recognizes the significance of being able to highlight pediatric innovation alongside its EHS colleagues at this incredible event," stated Ruth Frey, Vice President of Global Strategy and Business Development at CHOP. "It is a privilege to work with the EHS, as we have an aligned mission of improving pediatric healthcare and contributing to the health of children in the UAE and worldwide."

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the 595-bed hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as a new inpatient hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Contact: Joey McCool Ryan
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SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia