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1. The Kidney Transplantation / Renal Failure Program at CHLA:

There is a well-known shortage of available organs for transplantation in the United States, where over 80,000 patients are currently on the waiting list for an available organ. CHLA has consistently ranked as one of the top 5 centers for pediatric kidney transplantation in the United States, as hundreds of pediatric patients with end-stage kidney disease have undergone kidney transplantations by Dr. Brian Hardy over the past 20 years through the Kidney Transplantation Program at CHLA. Dr. Hardy serves as the co-Director of the program.

2. The Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratories:

To help alleviate the shortage of donor organs, the field of tissue engineering was developed recently, where the principles of cell biology, materials science, and engineering were combined to construct biological replacements for damaged or diseased tissue, such as the kidney and bladder. Stem cells offer a virtually limitless supply of cells for these bioengineered organs.

The Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory at CHLA involves two principal investigators, Dr. Roger De Filippo and Dr. Chester Koh, both of whom were recruited from Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. De Filippo has received NIH funding and foundation grants for his exciting work in tissue engineering of the kidney using amniotic-fluid derived stem cells, a novel stem cell source that can be obtained without harm to mother or embryo.

Dr. Koh has received NIH funding, an American College of Surgeons Faculty Fellowship, and foundation grants to focus on tissue engineering of the bladder, as current bladder replacement techniques currently involve the use of intestine as replacement tissue, which is associated with significant complications and extended hospital stays.

3. FDA-approved Clinical Trial for Tissue Engineering of the Bladder:

The Division of Pediatric Urology at CHLA has been selected as one of 4 institutions in the U.S. for a clinical trial with tissue engineered bladders that started in 2007. Dr. Roger De Filippo serves as the principal investigator for the CHLA site. CHLA is the only children's hospital in the western half of the U.S. that will participate in this FDA-approved landmark clinical trial, which will be the first multi-institutional clinical trial in patients that involves the replacement of an organ (bladder) using tissue engineering.

4. The Robotic Surgery in Pediatric Urology Program:

The Division of Pediatric Urology has launched its Robotic Surgery Program under the direction of Dr. Chester Koh. Through a collaboration with Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, we provide robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for our patients that allow us to apply the most technologically advanced tools available for reconstructive urologic procedures with better accuracy (Da Vinci Robot, Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA). The benefits of robotic surgery, as an alternative to open surgery, include:

a. Minimally invasive technique (small incisions)
b. Shorter hospital stays
c. Decreased postoperative pain medication requirements
d. Improved cosmetic appearance after surgery.

This program allows CHLA to maintain its position as one of the few institutions in the country and in the world that provide minimally invasive surgery for its patients in the field of pediatric urology.

5. 3-D MRI Imaging for Diagnosis of Pediatric Urologic Disorders:

Dr. Roger De Filippo, in conjunction with Lee Schiel of Early Response Imaging, has been developing innovative 3-D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to allow more accurate diagnoses in pediatric urologic disorders. This should help the pediatric urologic surgeon in planning their major reconstructive surgeries. This has been highlighted by the American College of Surgeons and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

6. Etiology of Human Cryptorchidism (Undescended Testes) Project:

Dr. Victoria Cortessis from the USC Department of Preventive Medicine is working with the Division of Pediatric Urology to conduct research into the genetic causes of a common pediatric urology condition, cryptorchidism (undescended testes). A pilot project has been completed in the past, and large-scale studies are currently in progress.

7. Clinical Trial for Minimally Invasive Therapy for Vesicoureteral Reflux:

The division of Pediatric Urology at CHLA was selected as the only institution in the western half of the US for a multi-institutional trial that will investigate the effectiveness of up-front minimally invasive therapy for vesicoureteral reflux using Deflux, a therapeutic option that received FDA approval in 2001. Dr. Chester Koh serves as the principal investigator at CHLA.