Sus scrofa Raw sequence reads
Growth retardation (GR), which includes intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and postnatal growth retardation (PGR), affects over 200 million children globally and comprises 45% of mortality in children under 5 years. It has long-term impacts on child development and higher risk for various adulthood metabolic syndromes and disease. While the underlying cause is not fully understood, defective intestinal barrier function and aberrant hepatic immune function contribute to the inflammatory responses that drive the growth delay. Disrupted commensal microbial establishment deteriorates epithelial tight junctions to induce cytokines that could initiate an inflammatory response in liver-resident immune cells. Thus, a complex interplay between microbiome, epithelial cells, and the hepatic immune systems contribute to the progression of GR.