Biomarkers and the Prediction of Risk for NEC
Miami Neonatology 2024—48th Annual International Conference

This education is about:

• NEC in preterm infants
• Diagnostic challenges related to NEC
• Investigational biomarkers for NEC
• Biobanking and biorepositories

Why it matters:
NEC affects about 7% of all premature infants and is the leading cause of GI-related death in this population. Early detection of NEC can reduce morbidity and mortality, but the nonspecific symptoms of NEC and the lack of sensitive and specific biomarkers makes diagnosis challenging. To facilitate the identification of novel biomarkers, biorepositories have been developed, providing researchers with the biospecimens needed for high-throughput data collection and moving the needle toward earlier NEC diagnosis.

What you will learn:
In this presentation, Misty Good, MD, MS, begins by discussing the diagnostic challenges associated with early NEC detection and the limitation of current biomarkers. Dr. Good then discusses her role in developing the NEC Biorepository in collaboration with the NEC Society. The administrative structure, research infrastructure, and procedures for sample collection and maintenance are also described, providing NICU clinicians with a window into the research efforts that drive innovation in NEC. Finally, Dr. Good provides data on NEC biomarker panels that were generated using biospecimens from the NEC Biorepository, highlighting promising investigational tools that are currently being evaluated in research centers.

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  Misty Good, MD, MS

  Division Chief, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
  Co-Program Director, Pediatric Physician Scientist Training Program
  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Chapel Hill, North Carolina