Stem Cells Heal Damaged Intestinal Tissue In Premature Babies

Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Researchers studying stem cells removed from amniotic fluid have found a possible role the cells have on healing damage caused by necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe inflammation that can destroy tissues in the gut and lead to major organ failure.

The findings, published in the journal Gut, are based on early animal tests that reveal healing and an increase in survival. The researchers say the evidence could lead to a new form of cell therapy for premature babies, but cautioned that more research is needed first.

The study was funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Childrens Charity and led by University College Londons (UCL) Institute of Child Health (ICH). The researchers investigated how the stem cells work in relation to NEC, which is the most common gastrointestinal surgical emergency in newborns, with mortality rates or around 15 to 30 percent in the UK.

While breast milk and probiotics are known to offer some level of protection against NEC, there are currently no medical treatments available other than emergency surgery. Surgical removal, however, shortens the bowel and can lead to intestinal failure, with some babies needing ongoing intravenous nutrition or intestinal transplant.

Babies born prematurely often have guts that are ill-prepared to handle food, and about one in 10 preemies in neonatal intensive care go on to develop NEC. The inflammation can cause tissue death and lead to holes in the intestine which can lead to even more serious infections.

It is quite a problem and we think it is on the increase, said Dr. Simon Eaton, from UCLs Institute of Child Health.

Dr. Eaton, who was part of the research team investigating the role of amniotic stem cells in laboratory rats programmed to develop fatal NEC, said the injections of the stem cells appeared to increase the survival times of the rats.

Were able to prolong survival by quite a long way, he told the BBC. What appears to be happening is a direct effect on calming inflammation and also stimulating resident stem cells in the gut to be more efficient at repairing the intestines.

The researchers harvested amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells from rodent amniotic fluid and injected them into rats with NEC. Other rats with the same condition were given bone marrow stem cells taken from their femurs, or were kept on normal nutrition with no treatment, to compare clinical outcomes.

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Stem Cells Heal Damaged Intestinal Tissue In Premature Babies