Vatican-owned Bambino Gesù Hospital expands pediatric innovation with a new Gene Therapy Laboratory and groundbreaking research.
Newsroom (15/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) More than four decades after being officially recognized as a research institution, the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading centers for pediatric medicine, combining advanced scientific research with a mission to provide care to children regardless of background or circumstance.
Known affectionately as the “Pope’s hospital,” Bambino Gesù marked a significant milestone in October 2025 with the inauguration of a new Gene Therapy Laboratory dedicated to developing innovative treatments for genetic diseases. The facility reflects the hospital’s long-standing commitment to translating scientific discoveries into life-saving therapies for children.
“We must always remain at the forefront of research, not to boast about our achievements, but because we must find the newest treatments that save lives and help children have a future. That is what matters most to us,” hospital president Tiziano Onesti told EWTN News.
For Onesti, access to advanced treatment is as important as scientific progress itself.
“Children should be treated with the most innovative treatments, and these should be accessible to everyone,” he said. “That’s what distinguishes Bambino Gesù: the fact that we are truly open to all.”
A Major Pediatric and Research Hub
Bambino Gesù is Europe’s largest children’s hospital and research center. Operating across six sites in Rome and the Lazio region, the institution employs approximately 4,000 people, including about 2,000 professionals dedicated to research activities.
The hospital’s history dates back more than 150 years. Founded in Rome in 1869 by Duchess Arabella FitzJames Salviati, it was inspired by the Hôpital des Enfants Malades in Paris. The Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul were the first to administer the hospital.
In 1887, the institution relocated to Janiculum Hill, where its historic headquarters remains today. Onesti describes the site as “the beating heart of the Bambino Gesù.”
The hospital expanded in 1922 with the opening of a second branch in Santa Marinella, a coastal town west of Rome that continues to operate today. Two years later, the Salviati family donated the entire hospital complex to Pope Pius XI and the Holy See, cementing its unique identity as a Vatican-owned medical institution.
A major turning point came in 1985 when Bambino Gesù was officially recognized as a research institution, laying the foundation for decades of scientific advancement.
Driving Innovation in Pediatric Care
The hospital has built a reputation for tackling some of the most complex pediatric cases through a combination of research, technology, and clinical expertise.
In 2022, Bambino Gesù inaugurated Italy’s largest pediatric palliative care center in terms of bed capacity, expanding specialized support for children with severe and life-limiting conditions.
Its commitment to medical innovation is reflected in facilities such as the Robotics and Motion Analysis Laboratory, opened in 2000, and the Clinical Trials Center, inaugurated a decade later. These investments helped pave the way for a landmark achievement in 2024, when the hospital developed the world’s first CAR-T cell therapies for pediatric autoimmune diseases.
The newly opened Gene Therapy Laboratory represents the next stage in that evolution. Covering approximately 700 square meters, the facility was officially inaugurated on Oct. 28, 2025. It is equipped with advanced technologies designed to research and develop genetically modified cell therapies.
The therapies developed within the laboratory are produced in the Bambino Gesù Pharmaceutical Workshop, located adjacent to the facility at the hospital’s San Paolo campus. Both form part of a broader research complex inaugurated in 2014.
“It is there where very, very advanced therapies are applied and where very important research is being carried out,” Onesti said.
Artificial Intelligence and Rare Disease Research
Research and innovation remain central to the hospital’s vision for the future. According to Onesti, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are increasingly important tools in modern medicine.
“This includes the use of innovative tools such as artificial intelligence, which objectively plays an important role in diagnosis, especially in medical imaging and in the interpretation of different test results,” he said.
The hospital’s research efforts continue to generate important discoveries. On July 9, Bambino Gesù announced that it was one of three medical centers involved in identifying a previously unknown rare genetic neurodevelopmental disease, highlighting its role in expanding medical knowledge and improving diagnosis for complex conditions.
“The future of Bambino Gesù undoubtedly lies in patient care, but also in research that will allow us to provide better care,” Onesti said.
Listening as a Core Mission
While scientific breakthroughs define much of the hospital’s international reputation, Onesti emphasized that its mission remains rooted in caring for vulnerable children and supporting families through difficult circumstances.
“Unfortunately, the child is defenseless, but we try to be there for people, even in the most difficult moments,” he said.
According to Onesti, one characteristic shared by staff throughout the institution is “a great willingness to listen.”
“Knowing how to listen—or, better said, truly understanding the problem the child and, above all, their family are facing—is what allows us to make a difference,” he said. “That is what sets us apart. Faced with the anguish, anxiety, and loneliness of suffering, we all take action.”
A Unique Model of Care
Bambino Gesù operates under a distinctive structure. Although it is a private hospital owned by the Holy See, it works closely with Italy’s National Health Service, enabling patients to receive medical care free of charge.
“The Bambino Gesù is unique,” Onesti said. “It is precisely this historical combination that makes it truly special, because it brings together the Holy See, the Pope, and the national health system.”
As the institution builds on more than 150 years of service, its leaders see research and compassionate care as inseparable goals. From gene therapy and artificial intelligence to palliative care and rare disease discovery, Bambino Gesù continues to pursue innovations aimed not only at advancing science, but at improving the lives and futures of children around the world.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
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