Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network - Clinical Site

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital
The goals of the current proposal are to reorganize and expand the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care
Research Network (CPCCRN), to mentor young investigators in CPCCRN to become independent
investigators, and to implement the multi-center randomized controlled “Personalized Immunomodulation in
Sepsis-Induced Multiple Organ Dysfunction” interventional trial. The newly organized CPCCRN will expand
from 7 to 24 clinical sites (12 Primary and 12 Ancillary sites), which will be the largest NIH Pediatric Critical
Care Research Network to date. We at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) - Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH;
Primary Site) and Children’s Hospital of San Antonio (CHofSA; Ancillary Site) are very enthusiastic about
participating as new sites. TCH is the largest freestanding children’s hospital system in the U.S. and is one of
the best (Rank #4 Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report 2020-2021). We have every pediatric
subspecialty and offer every service expected in a quaternary pediatric center. We have an extensive track
record of successful collaboration in multi-center clinical trials such as the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and
Sepsis Investigators and the Pediatric Heart Network. In combination with our CHofSA partner, we will provide
access to 163+24 beds with 6000 annual admissions, enabling us to participate fully in the “Personalized
Immunomodulation in Sepsis-induced Multiple Organ Dysfunction (MODS)” trial described in the Overall
Component of this application. Our sites have several highly talented young faculty, who have career
development grants with innovative translational research projects, and will contribute to the success of
CPCCRN. For example, Dr. Desai (K12 recipient) pioneered the field of pediatric cirrhotic cardiomyopathy and
bile acid-myocardial interaction (cholecardia). His aim is to improve outcomes of pediatric liver failure through
decreasing circulating pathologic bile acids by novel bile acid sequestrants and blood purification techniques.
Dr. Lam (K08 recipient) develops novel protein to attenuate inflammation through inhibiting leukocyte-platelet-endothelial interactions. His aim is to improve outcomes in pediatric liver failure and more recently, COVID19-
induced inflammation. Dr. Nguyen, our Co-Investigator, is R01 funded to study mechanisms of sepsis-induced
MODS and to develop targeted novel agent for this deadly disease. His aim is to obtain Investigational New
Drug status for his novel A2 Protein from the Food and Drug Administration, and subsequently, to enter A2
Protein in clinical trials such as CPCCRN. Dr. Arikan, our site Principle Investigator, plans to study the impact
of extracorporeal therapies in immunomodulation and pharmacokinetics of novel therapeutics to build on her
previous work in pediatric MODS with a special emphasis on interaction of acute kidney injury, acquired
immune dysfunction, and MODS phenotypes.

Grant Number: 5RL1HD107780-05
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Ayse Akcan Arikan