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PAEDIATRICS

Gut-derived T cells might cause brain injury in NEC

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 18, pages 291–292 (2021)Cite this article

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Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an acute intestinal emergency in preterm infants, which is often later complicated by cognitive delay and neurodevelopmental disability. A new study performed in mice suggests that CD4+ T cells can travel from the NEC-inflamed gut to the brain and cause IFNγ-mediated brain injury.

Refers to Zhou, Q. et al. Necrotizing enterocolitis induces T lymphocyte-mediated injury in the developing mammalian brain. Sci. Transl. Med. 13, eaay6621 (2021).

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Fig. 1: Proposed mechanism for white matter injury in preterm infants with NEC.

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  1. Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Jörn-Hendrik Weitkamp

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  1. Jörn-Hendrik Weitkamp
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Correspondence to Jörn-Hendrik Weitkamp.

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J.-H.W. serves as a consultant to Roche Diagnostics Corporation.

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Weitkamp, JH. Gut-derived T cells might cause brain injury in NEC. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 18, 291–292 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-021-00432-6

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