Item Details

abstract

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most life-threatening gastrointestinal disease in premature infants, affecting nearly 30,000 premature infants every year in the United States. While the pathogenesis of NEC is not fully understood, immaturity of the intestinal epithelium, early exposure to pathogens, and hyperinflammatory immune response can increase NEC incidence and severity. Current medical treatments and surgeries have done very little to decrease the fatality of NEC. Emerging medical breakthroughs and technologies have highlighted the potential of integrating regenerative medicine to prevent or treat NEC, such as utilizing stem cells, tissue engineering, and biomaterials. Regenerative medicine aims to target the underlying cause of diseases by repairing, replacing, or regenerating damaged cells, tissues, and organsIn these studies, we aimed to study potential alternative therapies for NEC by utilizing regenerative medicine approaches. Specifically, human placental-derived stem cells (hPSCs) were analyzed to assess their efficacy to ameliorate NEC. hPSC dosage and route of administration was evaluated, as well as their systemic immunomodulatory effects. Initial evidence suggests that varying the number of hPSCs administered did not significantly alleviate NEC symptoms. In addition, modeling administration of hPSCs via oral gavage, suggests that cell viability would be significantly diminished once emptied into the small intestine. Furthermore, out studies suggest hPSCs promote intestinal repair while also reducing NEC-damage. Additionally, a tissue-engineer small intestine (TESI) was constructed to replicate the small intestine. Our ongoing studies suggest that our fabricated electrospun, tubular scaffold maintained its structure in vivo while also promoting native tissue integration and cell proliferation. It is hoped that our continuing regenerative medicine studies will broaden the knowledge and application of alternative therapies for NEC.

subject

Biomaterials

NEC

Regenerative Medicine

Stem Cells

Tissue Engineering

contributor

Peeler, Cole (author)

Atala, Anthony (committee chair)

Soker, Shay (committee member)

Weis, Victoria (committee member)

date

2022-05-24T08:36:21Z (accessioned)

2022 (issued)

degree

Biomedical Engineering (discipline)

2027-05-14 (liftdate)

embargo

2027-05-14 (terms)

identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/100789 (uri)

language

en (iso)

publisher

Wake Forest University

title

UTILIZING REGENERATIVE MEDICINE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES FOR NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS

type

Thesis