Providing a Personalized Approach to Care

The Immune Deficiency and Dysregulation Program focuses on personalized treatments for each patient. That means we find the right therapy for your child’s unique needs, leading to the best possible outcomes.

The goal of treatment is to help your child’s immune system operate normally. Some of these treatments can be done at home, while others may require you to come to the clinic.

We provide a full range of treatment options for immune deficiency disorders, including:

• Immunoglobulin therapy – This is an infusion or intravenous (IV) treatment that helps boost your child’s immune system with antibodies.
• Preventative antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines – Our team may prescribe antibiotics, antivirals, antimycobacterial or other preventative medicines to keep your child healthy.
• Immunosuppressive medications including biologics – Our team may prescribe steroids or immunomodulatory medicines, which can help regulate the immune system.
• Chemotherapy – This treatment uses drugs to kill certain types of cells. We may use chemotherapy to help curb an overactive immune system. Children and young adults who need a stem cell transplant often undergo chemotherapy first. Chemotherapy can weaken the immune system so the body will accept donor stem cells or eliminate the patient’s stem cells before a transplant.
• Stem cell transplantation – This treatment involves replacing your child’s stem cells with healthy stem cells. The cells usually come from a healthy donor (allogenic stem cell transplant). This treatment is also sometimes called a bone marrow transplant.

With our robust research and clinical trial program, our team may also recommend a new, experimental treatment that has shown promising results in other patients. These emerging therapies are not often widely available.

Our team also works with various specialists from Cincinnati Children’s to make sure your child receives complete care for their needs. Specialists can include:

• Gastroenterologists
• Pulmonologists
• Rheumatologists
• Hematologists/oncologists
• Infectious disease specialists
• Nephrologists
• Endocrinologists
• Genetic counselors
• Nutritionists
• Psychologists
• Social workers

Genetic Testing

Our team works closely with experts in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at Cincinnati Children’s. These technicians use tests to confirm diagnoses and determine whether an immune deficiency disorder is genetic.

Physicians and genetic counselors who are experienced with immune system diseases can meet with you to talk about results and testing. Once the results are available, they can help the care team develop a personalized treatment plan for your child.

Follow-up Care

We understand that immune deficiencies are often a lifelong condition, which is why our team will support you and your child for as long as needed. That means we’ll continue to provide follow-up care and resources to keep your child healthy even after they finish treatment.

Adult Care

As your child grows older, we will provide a smooth transition to an adult immunologist. Our team includes Erinn Kellner, MD, who provides expert care for adults with immune deficiencies and dysregulation at Cincinnati Children’s.