Microfluidic Device Facilitates In Vitro Modeling of Human Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis-on-a-Chip

Necrotizing enterocolitis is an intestinal disease induces rapid destruction of the epithelial monolayer of the neonatal intestine. Clinically relevant models of this disease are lacking. Using our novel microfluidic model of necrotizing enterocolitis, we characterized the response of intestinal epithelial cell-derived organoids to intestinal bacteria isolated from a neonate with fatal NEC. We subsequently used RNA-sequencing to determine the gene expression profile of these cells after 24 or 72 hours of incubation. Gene expression analysis was performed on RNA isolated from epithelial cells derived from a neonatal small intestine that were cultured on a microfluidic device. These cells were either untreated or exposed to polymicrobial enteric bacteria isolated from a neonate who died from necrotizing enterocolitis for 24 or 72 hours.