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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Understanding and Treatment Strategies with the NEC-on-a-Chip Model
Published on: July 28, 2023
The Microbiome in Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Case Report in Twins and Minireview
Suchitra K Hourigan1, Allison Ta2, Wendy S W Wong3
1Inova Translational Medicine Institute, Fairfax, Virginia; Inova Children's Hospital, Fairfax, Virginia; Pediatric Specialists of Virginia, Fairfax, Virginia; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
Abstract:
Our case describes the serial microbiome changes in twins discordant for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), who shared similar intrauterine and early environmental exposures. The key findings were that the 2 neonates had distinctly different microbiome compositions from the first stool samples collected. Also, in the twin who developed NEC there was a decrease in bacterial diversity and an increase in Proteobacteria a week before developing any clinical symptoms, suggesting an early role of the intestinal microbiome in the development of NEC. Here we briefly review the literature on the role of the intestinal microbiome in NEC and how a greater understanding of the neonatal microbiome and host interactions may help mitigate this devastating disease.
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