NEC

Biofilms: The Good, the Bad & the Groundbreaking
Biofilms: The Good, the Bad & the Groundbreaking 1024 615 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Decades of research into the structure and function of bacterial biofilms have begun to pay off in the form of imminent clinical applications capable of harnessing both the protective and problematic aspects of this universal phenomenon. Imagine a hospital emergency department filled with patients — those with painful ear infections, recurrent urinary tract infections, fevers…

Congenital Heart Disease and Extracardiac Phenotypes Associated With Novel Pathogenic Variant in GATA6
Congenital Heart Disease and Extracardiac Phenotypes Associated With Novel Pathogenic Variant in GATA6 1024 575 Jessica Nye, PhD

A study published in Pediatric Research describes a novel pathogenic variant in the gene GATA binding protein 6 (GATA6) associated with congenital heart disease (CHD), diabetes mellitus and necrotizing enterocolitis.   GATA is a family of transcription factors that encode zinc finger DNA binding proteins which are critical regulators during organogenesis. Pathogenic variants in three…

Probiotics Delivered in Biofilm State Protect the Intestines and Brain in NEC Model
Probiotics Delivered in Biofilm State Protect the Intestines and Brain in NEC Model 898 504 Abbie Miller

Biofilm formulation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri protects against necrotizing enterocolitis in piglet model.  Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a debilitating and deadly condition affecting infants born preterm. In NEC cases, intestinal tissues become inflamed, and in severe cases, there is ischemia and death of the involved intestines. Treatment for NEC often involves surgery to remove the dying…