The March of Dimes South Carolina Chapter again awarded grants totaling $404,715 to Xuejun Wen, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Bioengineering, Cell Biology and Anatomy assistant professor, MUSC and Clemson University, and Lakshmi D. Katikaneni, M.D., MUSC Department of Neonatology professor.

Both researchers were recognized by the March of Dimes as continuing to advance the treatment of premature babies and those born with birth defects, as well as seeking new ways to prevent these health problems.

Dr. Xuejun Wen

Wen is working to develop a new generation of more effective cochlear implants, electronic hearing devices surgically implanted in the inner ear to help stimulate hearing. One of the most common birth defects, hearing impairment affects about 12,000 babies each year in the U.S. This impairment puts them at risk for delayed development of communication skills. Many children with severe hearing loss continue to lose nerve cells in the inner ear, a problem that has compromised the effectiveness of cochlear implants in the past. New implants would contain living cells that deliver nerve-sustaining substances to the inner ear to help prevent nerve cell loss and potentially improve hearing.

Katikaneni is studying the effectiveness of new imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging, in determining the severity of brain injuries in newborns of mothers with chorioamnionitis. Chorioamnionitis, a uterine infection 5 percent to 10 percent of pregnant women develop, is a common cause of premature labor. In some cases, this infection may cause inflammation in the baby's brain, resulting in brain damage, cerebral palsy and learning problems.

Dr. Lakshmi Katikaneni

Current imaging techniques are inadequate for early detection of brain injury, which could allow for treatment to prevent further brain damage and improve the child's outcome.

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