Host defense peptides human β defensin 2 and LL-37 ameliorate murine necrotizing enterocolitis

Shiloh R. Lueschow-Guijosa, Amy H. Stanford, Jennifer N. Berger, Huiyu Gong, Timothy J. Boly, Benjamin A.H. Jensen, Peter Nordkild, Alexandra J. Leegwater, Jan Wehkamp, Mark A. Underwood, Steven J. McElroy*

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of preterm infant morbidity and mortality. Treatment for NEC is limited and non-targeted, which makes new treatment and prevention strategies critical. Host defense peptides (HDPs) are essential components of the innate immune system and have multifactorial mechanisms in host defense. LL-37 and hBD2 are two HDPs that have been shown in prior literature to protect from neonatal sepsis-induced mortality or adult inflammatory bowel disease, respectively. Therefore, this article sought to understand if these two HDPs could influence NEC severity in murine preclinical models. NEC was induced in P14-16 C57Bl/6 mice and HDPs were provided as a pretreatment or treatment. Both LL-37 and hBD2 resulted in decreased NEC injury scores as a treatment and hBD2 as a pretreatment. Our data suggest LL-37 functions through antimicrobial properties, while hBD2 functions through decreases in inflammation and improvement of intestinal barrier integrity.

Original languageEnglish
Article number109993
JournaliScience
Volume27
Issue number6
Number of pages21
ISSN2589-0042
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

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© 2024 The Authors

Keywords

  • Biological sciences
  • Immunology
  • Molecular biology

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