New Developments in the Prevention and Management of NEC
Miami Neonatology 2024—48th Annual International Conference

This education is about:

• The development of NEC in preterm infants
• Dysbiotic and inflammatory pathways in NEC pathology
• The role of IL-22 signaling in intestinal health
•  IL-22 signaling as a therapeutic target in NEC
• Novel therapies and strategies for NEC being investigated

Why it matters:
NEC is a serious condition associated with severe morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. However, the pathogenesis of NEC is not fully understood or characterized, and treatment is primarily driven by symptoms  and limited diagnostic criteria. Preclinical research has identified IL-22 signaling as a potential treatment target for infants with NEC, and efforts are ongoing to determine optimal IL-22–directed therapies for testing in the clinic.

What you will learn:
In this presentation, Misty Good, MD, MS, discusses new developments in the prevention and management of NEC, with a focus on IL-22 signaling as a target. Dr. Good reviews established and novel research techniques used to assess NEC, including mouse models and intestine-on-a-chip methods, and the ways in which these tools have helped further basic and translational NEC research. This presentation highlights the importance of preclinical research in the development of novel therapeutics, which is encapsulated by the studies that identified the potential role of IL-22 in NEC pathology and generated candidate therapeutics for future evaluation in the clinic.

• 

  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