Price Transparency
Researchers At Scottish Rite For Children Awarded Grant From National Institutes Of Health For Clubfoot Genetics Research

Researchers At Scottish Rite For Children Awarded Grant From National Institutes Of Health For Clubfoot Genetics Research

by | Jan 17, 2023 | Research & Innovation

Researchers at Scottish Rite for Children and UT Southwestern Medical Center were recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will bring new opportunities to discover genetic causes of clubfoot. Clubfoot is a complex foot deformity where one or both feet are turned inward and pointed downward. At Scottish Rite, two nonoperative treatment methods are provided to children with clubfoot, though at times, surgical management may be required.
 
A research team at Scottish Rite, led by Jonathan J. Rios, Ph.D., is investigating the genetic basis of clubfoot. In 2021, Dr. Rios’ team published the largest genetic association study for clubfoot, which included analysis of approximately 8 million genetic markers in more than 8,000 individuals. As part of this effort, his team identified the first gene, FSTL5, associated with clubfoot using this approach. Using similar strategies, Carol Wise, Ph.D., Director of Basic Science Research at Scottish Rite, has led studies discovering genes associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. “This award reflects the expertise of our research staff and the organization’s commitment to research excellence, a combination that enables continued discoveries of the genetic basis for pediatric orthopedic conditions treated at our institution,” Dr. Wise says.

Dr. Rios’ new award will utilize whole-genome sequencing to discover genetic causes of clubfoot. As part of this award, the Gabriella Miller Kid’s First Program will sequence the entire genomes of 407 individuals from 85 families with clubfoot. “The Gabriella Miller Program is a unique opportunity to apply comprehensive genomic technologies to tackle unanswered questions in the field and to discover genetic causes of pediatric orthopedic disorders,” Dr. Rios says. The new Kids First Project on Congenital Clubfoot, led by Dr. Rios, is a collaboration with Dr. Jacqueline Hecht, Associate Dean of Research at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.

This is the second Gabriella Miller Project awarded to Dr. Rios. In 2016, the Gabriella Miller Project awarded Drs. Rios and Wise’s study of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, which included whole-genome sequencing of 598 individuals from 168 families. “Scoliosis and clubfoot are the most frequent orthopedic conditions treated at Scottish Rite,” says Scottish Rite Chief of Staff Daniel J. Sucato, M.D., M.S. “Genetic and basic research is fundamental to improving how we care for children, and ‘big data’ studies such as these allow our scientists to tackle new research questions that will advance our understanding of these conditions.” Learn more about research at Scottish Rite for Children and the Scottish Rite for Children Molecular Genetics research team. Jonathan J. Rios, Ph.D., is the co-director of Molecular Genetics at Scottish Rite, as well as an associate professor in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics and is a member of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern). Carol Wise, Ph.D., is the Director of Basic Research at Scottish Rite and is a professor in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics at UT Southwestern. Daniel J. Sucato, M.D., M.S., is the Chief of Staff at Scottish Rite and is a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UT Southwestern.

Scottish Rite for Children Awarded Department of Defense Research Grant

Scottish Rite for Children Awarded Department of Defense Research Grant

by | Jun 7, 2022 | Press Coverage, Research & Innovation

Researchers at Scottish Rite for Children were awarded a $100,000 grant from the Department of Defense’s Neurofibromatosis Research Program. This grant will fund efforts to investigate new treatments for bone fractures in children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).
 
NF1 is an uncommon genetic disorder associated with pediatric and adult tumors. Some children with NF1 develop orthopedic conditions requiring treatment, such as scoliosis and persistent bone fractures. For many years, Scottish Rite has been recognized as an international leader in the care of children with NF1. Recently researchers at Scottish Rite, led by former Assistant Chief of Staff B. Stephens Richards, M.D., co-led a clinical trial testing the INFUSE graft to treat persistent fractures in children with NF1. Surgery is currently the best option for children with NF1, but a team of Scottish Rite researchers is dedicated to developing new, less invasive treatment methods.
 
“Our team has dedicated years of research to understand why these persistent fractures occur in children with NF1,” says Jonathan Rios, Ph.D., assistant director of Molecular Genetics and lead investigator of the study. While several drugs are either approved by the FDA or currently in clinical trials to treat tumor manifestations of NF1, no such treatments exist for orthopedic conditions associated with NF1. “All of our team’s efforts have led to this moment, where we can now test new therapies in the lab. And by evaluating therapies already in clinical trials for other aspects of NF1, we hope to rapidly translate the most promising of these therapies to treat fractures in children with NF1,” Rios says.
 
“Dr. Rios’ research will allow us to advance how we care for children with NF1 suffering from persistent fractures and will improve the lives of children with NF1 at Scottish Rite and around the world,” Chief of Staff for Scottish Rite for Children Daniel J. Sucato, M.D., M.S., says. “Dr. Rios’ research exemplifies Scottish Rite’s reputation as an international leader in translational research that will bring new treatments to children for years to come,” Director of Basic Research Carol Wise says.
 
search about our leading-edge research.
 
Jonathan J. Rios, Ph.D., is the assistant director of Molecular Genetics at Scottish Rite, as well as an associate professor in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics and is a member of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW). Carol Wise, Ph.D., is the Director of Basic Research at Scottish Rite and is a professor in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics at UTSW. Dr. Sucato is the Chief of Staff at Scottish Rite and is a Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UTSW.