Institute

The Ped Mind Institute was initiated in 2010. From that time, more than 220 manuscripts were published in the research area of pediatrics, pediatric surgery and especially later on in clinical genetics in childhood.

Initially, it was more an idea of an engaged pediatrician, but over time, it had an immense output of essential scientific information. The close connection to a big pediatric department enabled us to focus on rare and serious diseases in childhood from the clinical aspect and makes us aware how big the number of disabled children is, who suffer from rare genetic disorders, which do not allow a child to live a normal life. A small but significant change in the child`s DNA has such a „catastrophic effect“ on their phenotype that they are severely disabled or confined to a wheelchair for a life.

The research conducted by Prof. Bittmann at the Ped Mind Institute (PMI) is driven by a clear and deeply personal motivation. He seeks to find ways not merely to alleviate incurable genetic diseases in childhood, but to cure them at their root. At its core, his scientific work focuses on three major, closely interconnected pillars.

The "Cure, not Treat" paradigm.

In his daily practice, Bittmann frequently encounters children who are wheelchair-bound or severely disabled due to minute mutations in their DNA, often involving just a single swapped base. The problem is that conventional approaches often involve years of therapy ("treatments") without addressing the underlying cause. Bittmann focuses on "one-time approaches." The think tank’s goal is to permanently repair faulty gene codes as early as possible using theoretical gene and cell therapies. For a gene or RNA therapy to be effective, the defect must be identified before irreversible damage occurs in the child's body. Bittmann researches and advocates for advanced whole-genome sequencing strategies for infants. Ideally, genetic errors should be detected prenatally (before birth) or immediately after delivery to enable immediate therapeutic intervention. A significant portion of his more than 220 publications is dedicated to specific, rare neurological and genetic disorders. Drawing on his earlier university training in pediatric surgery, including at the Children's Hospital Zurich and LMU Munich, focusing on conditions such as biliary atresia, he combines anatomical-surgical expertise with modern molecular genetics.

When we look at all these treatment options in these impaired children, you often find „treat“-ments, but no „cure". Treatments over years without curing the disease. „Curing“ means developing gene therapy options, pre-or postnatal, one-time approaches, repairing all these genetic defects very early. This means, detecting them as early as possible. This means developing accurate whole genome sequencing strategies for babies prenatally to screen them for defects on their genetic material.

This is our focus-not finding treatments but find hypothesis to „cure“ children as early as possible.

Prof. Stefan Bittmann M.A.
Honorary Professor (Hon.Prof.)