The Washington University NF Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Sean Morrison as one of the 2014 Washington University NF Center Research Symposium keynote speakers. Sean J. Morrison, PhD, is the founding Director of the Children’s Research Institute and the Mary McDermott Cook Chair in Pediatric Genetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center […]
Month: January 2014
NEW STUDY: Social and Behavioral Health in NF1
Researchers in the Washington University NF Center are currently recruiting both adults and children with NF1 to better understand the social and behavioral problems sometimes experienced by individuals with NF1. Recent studies have suggested that people with NF1 often have features seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. To better understand this possible connection, Dr. […]
Washington University NF Center Researchers Study the Effect of Reducing Tumor Blood Vessel Function to NF2-Associated Tumors
Individuals with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) are prone to developing brain tumors, including vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas. While vestibular schwannomas can cause hearing loss and balance problems, meningioma growth often leads to headaches, seizures or weakness. Recent studies have shown that anti-angiogenic drugs, designed to decrease tumor blood vessel function, can be used to reduce […]
Washington University NF Center Toddlers Show Progress After Beat NF
Children with NF1 can experience a range of developmental delays, including problems with gross motor skills and trouble learning how to appropriately socialize. A recent study showed that these delays can affect the development of children with NF1 as young as the age of three. Studies like this, and those currently taking place at the […]
Nicole’s Nook: Apps that are More than Recreation
The iPad often gets a bad rap. It’s too trendy, it’s too techy, it’s too mainstream, and it’s too gamey. I’m not sure if all of those are legitimate words, but you get the point. It looks like play, end of story. And to give something so recreational to kids in an educational setting can […]
UPDATE: Clinical Research Studies at the Washington University NF Center – Winter 2014
Curious how our current clinical studies are going? Find out below! NF1 Genome Project (NF1GP) We have obtained 354 blood samples from individuals with NF1 and have begun using some of the samples in new studies. These include a study looking at the differences in DNA between people with NF1 who develop brain tumors and people with NF1 […]
SAVE THE DATE: Club NF Creates Art!
The Washington University NF Center in collaboration with the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation is excited to announce its February 2014 Club NF event – Club NF Creates Art! Please join us at the St. Louis Artist’s Guild in Clayton on February 1, 2014 at 10AM to work on fine motor skills and self-expression. Children will have the opportunity to […]
Washington University NF Center Researchers Identify New Mutation in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors
Angela C. Hirbe, MD, PhD and her colleagues at the Washington University NF Center and the University of California – San Francisco have recently identified a new mutation in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). They discovered mutations in the BRAF gene – a gene previously implicated in skin cancer (melanoma). In this new study, […]
NF Camp Provides Children and Teenagers with NF1 Chance to Make New Friends
Living with NF1 can be a challenge and sometimes can cause children and teenagers to feel isolated from their peers. Because NF1 is uncommon, children might feel like no one understands their experiences. Brainy Camp’s Camp New Friends offers children and teens with NF1 the opportunity to meet other individuals with NF1, giving them a support system they […]
Recent Study Sheds Light on Learning Problems in Preschool Age Children with NF1
In addition to café-au-lait macules, difficulties with learning are seen in as many as 80% of school-aged children with NF1. Affected children may have problems with attention, visual perception, executive function, language, reading, spelling and mathematics. Each of these issues can make success in school extremely difficult without proper support and therapy. A recent study […]
HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Help Your Child Develop Skills Delayed in Children with NF1
Help your child start off the New Year right with a resolution to get active this year. The Washington University NF Center promotes play-based therapy for children with NF1, and it’s easy to integrate this philosophy into your everyday life. Play-based therapy is all about using play to work on skills that are sometimes delayed in […]