Gut colonisation is an important source of invasive pathogens causing neonatal sepsis. Understanding how bacteria adhere to and invade neonatal gut tissue, and the immune system response, is crucial to preventive strategies. Intestinal organoids – 3D multicellular structures containing the cell types found in intestinal tissue – can be invaluable to understanding disease pathogenesis, but to date, intestinal organoid creation has been limited to adult tissue.

This study’s preliminary results have shown a high success rate for culture of gut organoids from neonatal patients, including those who are premature and those who have active gut infection and disease.

2022 – 2024