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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Understanding and Treatment Strategies with the NEC-on-a-Chip Model
Published on: July 28, 2023
Neonatal intestinal dysbiosis in necrotizing enterocolitis
Naomi-Liza Denning1,2, Jose M Prince3,4,5
1Division of Pediatric Surgery, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Cohen Children's Medical Center, 269-01 76th Avenue, CH 158, New Hyde Park, New York, NY, 11040, USA. ndenning@northwell.edu.
Abstract:
Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most devastating gastrointestinal diseases in neonates, particularly among preterm infants in whom surgical NEC is the leading cause of morbidity. NEC pathophysiology occurs in the hyper-reactive milieu of the premature gut after bacterial colonization. The resultant activation of the TLR4 pathway appears to be a strongly contributing factor. Advancements in metagenomics may yield new clarity to the relationship between the neonatal intestinal microbiome and the development of NEC. After a century without effective directed treatments, microbiome manipulation offers a promising therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of this devastating disease.
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