Le Cras Research Lab

Vascular Malformations and Tumors In Children

Vascular malformations and tumors in children and infants can have high morbidity and mortality. Definitive diagnosis of these congenital diseases is challenging and usually requires a biopsy that can worsen the disease and precipitate severe complications. Mechanisms driving abnormal vessel growth in vascular anomalies are unclear and therapeutic options are limited and often have deleterious side effects.

Our group is based in the Pulmonary Biology Division but has extensive collaborations with other investigators and physicians in the Hemangioma and Vascular Malformation Center (HVMC) at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center as well as in vascular anomaly centers around the US.

The long-term goals of our laboratory including the following:

• Identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for patients with vascular malformations and tumors
• Gain insights into the pathogenesis of these diseases
• Develop new therapeutic targets for these patients