Project description:Preterm birth disrupts the critical maturation of the intestinal epithelium, leading to compromised digestive and absorptive functions. This study explores the potential of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) to promote the maturation of human preterm intestinal epithelial cells. By establishing human preterm intestinal organoids derived from the ileal tissue of a neonate born at 27 weeks gestational age, we demonstrate that treatment with EVs, particularly the EV39 line, significantly enhances the expression of adult-type enterocyte markers, including genes involved in lipid and nutrient transport, digestive enzymes, and epithelial barrier integrity. These maturation signatures were identified through reanalysis of multiple single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets, revealing distinct enterocyte differentiation trajectories and key maturation-specific gene expression profiles. Notably, these maturation effects were dependent on cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) activity, as CFTR inhibition reversed the observed benefits. Proteomic analysis identified FGF2 and TGFβ1 as key ligands mediating the effects of EV39. Co-treatment with FGF2 and TGFβ1 further enhanced epithelial barrier integrity and fatty acid uptake, highlighting the translational potential of EV39 or its ligands in promoting intestinal functional maturation in preterm infants.
Project description:Preterm infants born <32 weeks gestation have abnormal microbial colonisation and dysregulated inflammation within the gut. Preterm infant-derived intestinal organoids (PIOs) represent a valuable model for investigating gut microbiome-host interactions and inflammatory responses. We optimised an inflammation model in PIO monolayers incubated within an anaerobic co-culture system that recreates the physiological oxygen gradient of the intestinal epithelium. We trialled multiple stimuli, including live and heat-killed pathobiont consortia, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and flagellin. We found that a combination of apical LPS and basolateral flagellin, incubated for 3 hours, elicited the most robust response. This was characterised by enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, the potential for chemokine-driven immune recruitment, TNFα and IL17C pathway signalling, shifts from NF-κB to AP-1-mediated responses, and signs of tissue remodelling. This provides a framework for appropriate study design to disentangle the impacts of microbiome-host interactions in health and disease using intestinal organoids.
Project description:Preterm infants born <32 weeks gestation have abnormal microbial colonisation and dysregulated inflammation within the gut. Preterm infant-derived intestinal organoids (PIOs) represent a valuable model for investigating gut microbiome-host interactions and inflammatory responses. We optimised an inflammation model in PIO monolayers incubated within an anaerobic co-culture system that recreates the physiological oxygen gradient of the intestinal epithelium. We trialled multiple stimuli, including live and heat-killed pathobiont consortia, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and flagellin. We found that a combination of apical LPS and basolateral flagellin, incubated for 3 hours, elicited the most robust response. This was characterised by enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, the potential for chemokine-driven immune recruitment, TNFα and IL17C pathway signalling, shifts from NF-κB to AP-1-mediated responses, and signs of tissue remodelling. This provides a framework for appropriate study design to disentangle the impacts of microbiome-host interactions in health and disease using intestinal organoids.
Project description:Development of the gut microbiota is greatly impacted in preterm infants. Despite increasing knowledge about microbiota composition in preterm infants, knowledge about the functional signatures of the intestinal microbiota remains limited. The aim was to study transitions in microbiota activity during the first six postnatal weeks in ten preterm infants. A total of 64 stool samples were measured by LC-MS/MS.
Project description:Development of the gut microbiota is greatly impacted in preterm infants. Despite increasing knowledge about microbiota composition in preterm infants, knowledge about the functional signatures of the intestinal microbiota remains limited. The aim was to study transitions in microbiota activity during the first six postnatal weeks in ten preterm infants. A total of 64 stool samples were measured by LC-MS/MS.
Project description:Intestinal microbiota colonization is important for intestinal development and health of preterm infants, especially those with extremely low birth weight. Recent studies indicated for a dynamic crosstalk between that gut microbiota and DNA methylome of host intestinal cells. Thereby, we sought to determine the epigenomic and metagenomic consequences of suppression of microbiota colonization in the intestine of preterm neonates to gain insights into biological pathways that shape the interface between the gut microbiota and the preterm intestinal cells. We examined 14 preterm piglets by comparing the conventional preterm neonates with those ones treated with oral antibiotics for genome wide DNA methylation and 16S rDNA microbiome. Our results demonstrated an extensive genome-wide DNA methylation changes in response to the suppression of intestinal microbe colonization, especially genes involved in neonatal immune response signaling and glycol-metabolism pathways were identified. Our study highlights several key genes that might predispose preterm neonates to NEC risk due to their key roles involved in the immune-metabolic networks. Our study not only provided rich omic-data to interpret molecular program in relation with microbiota-associated methylome-proteome network changes, but also confer clinical usage of key gene markers for potential early diagnostics of NEC of preterm neonates.
Project description:We conducted a prospective cohort study with independent Discovery and Validation cohorts, to formulate predictive biomarkers for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in extremely preterm infants. Tracheal aspirate samples were collected at birth from extremely preterm infants. Exosomes were extracted from tracheal aspirates and total RNA was extracted from these exosomes from individual samples. miRNA profiling for all ~ 800 miRNAs was conducted on each sample by nanostring platform. This study found that a distinct airway exosomal miRNA sigrature at birth (decreased miR 876-3p) predicts future development of severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in extremely preterm infants.