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Published in: Pediatric Surgery International 3/2021

01-03-2021 | Original Article

Administration of extracellular vesicles derived from human amniotic fluid stem cells: a new treatment for necrotizing enterocolitis

Authors: Joshua S. O’Connell, Carol Lee, Nassim Farhat, Lina Antounians, Augusto Zani, Bo Li, Agostino Pierro

Published in: Pediatric Surgery International | Issue 3/2021

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Abstract

Purpose

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating gastrointestinal disease. Amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSC) improve NEC injury but human translation remains difficult. We aimed to evaluate the use of extracellular vesicles (EV) derived from human AFSC.

Methods

Human AFSC (hAFSC) were cultured according to the protocol (Celprogen Inc., California, U.S.A.). Conditioned medium was obtained, ultra-centrifuged, and EV were suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). C57BL/6 pups were grouped into: (1) breast-fed (Control, n = 11); (2) NEC + placebo (NEC + PBS; n = 10); and (3) NEC + treatment (NEC + EV; n = 11). NEC was induced post-natal days P5-9 by (A) gavage feeding hyperosmolar formula; (B) hypoxia for 10 min; and (C) lipopolysaccharide. Intra-peritoneal injections of PBS or hAFSC-EV were given on P6-7. All animals were sacrificed on P9 and terminal ileum harvested.

Results

hAFSC-EV administration reduced intestinal injury (p = 0.0048), NEC incidence (score ≥ 2), and intestinal inflammation (IL-6 p < 0.0001; TNF-α p < 0.0001). Intestinal stem cell expression (Lgr5 +) and cellular proliferation (Ki67) were enhanced above control levels following hAFSC-EV administration (Lgr5 p = 0.0003; Ki67 p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

hAFSC-EV administration reduced intestinal NEC injury and inflammation while increasing stem cell expression and cellular proliferation. hAFSC-EV administration may induce similar beneficial effects to exogenous stem cells.
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Metadata
Title
Administration of extracellular vesicles derived from human amniotic fluid stem cells: a new treatment for necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors
Joshua S. O’Connell
Carol Lee
Nassim Farhat
Lina Antounians
Augusto Zani
Bo Li
Agostino Pierro
Publication date
01-03-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Pediatric Surgery International / Issue 3/2021
Print ISSN: 0179-0358
Electronic ISSN: 1437-9813
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-020-04826-6

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