title: Stem cells as a potential therapy for necrotizing enterocolitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal disease of neonates, especially those born prematurely, that remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Although current treatments such as inotropes, antibiotics and ventilation are supportive, there is an urgent need for novel therapies that specifically target the affected intestine.
  
  
  METHODS
  We briefly introduce the disease and the effects on intestinal epithelia. We provide a brief description of amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells, and then describe some recent data in which AFS cells were beneficial in an animal model of NEC and a potential mechanism is described. The effects of AFS cells are compared with data on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The potential implications of these findings for therapy are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current data are promising and demonstrate that stem cells do have an effect in rodent models of NEC. However, the short timescale, limited ability for longitudinal evaluation and uncertain clinical relevance of these models means that there are considerable challenges to be overcome before attempting stem cell therapy in clinical trials. Nevertheless, these data open up novel areas of research into a prevention or therapy for this devastating disease.
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Child Health , 30 Guilford Street, London , UK s.eaton@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zani
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pierro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Coppi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology