# Therapeutic Mechanisms of Placental Stem Cell-Based Therapy in Necrotizing Enterocolitis

> **NIH NIH K01** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $134,484

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The overall goal of this application is to support a NIDDK Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
(K01) for the applicant, Dr. Victoria Weis, PhD, at the intersection of epithelial cell biology, pediatric intestinal
disease, and novel translational therapeutics to study necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating intestinal
disease affecting the most fragile premature infants. There are no effective therapies currently available and
mortality rates persist at 20-40%. As the population of premature infants at highest risk for NEC continues to rise
due to overall improvements in NICU care, an urgent need has emerged to develop innovative clinically
translatable therapies to combat this disease. Despite decades of research targeted at uncovering the risk factors
and mechanisms for onset of NEC, the field has not progressed to the point of clinically available therapies. We
posit that a critical barrier preventing the development of clinically translatable therapeutic candidates is the lack
of understanding in the remedial dynamic mechanisms involved in NEC repair and epithelial restitution. Our
group has recently shown promising results with the use of perinatal stem cells isolated from placental tissue in
facilitating the reparative process through regulation of the inflammatory response and re-establishment of the
intestinal stem cell niche and epithelial barrier. We hypothesize that the dual supportive role of placental stem
cells on immune modulation and epithelial regeneration will enable us to uncover the dynamic mechanisms
responsible for initiating intestinal repair in NEC, to guide further efforts in advanced therapeutic development.
The specific aims of this application reflect a rigorous study of the mechanisms and time-course involved in
placental stem cell attenuation of NEC to examine: (1) reparative cellular and molecular dynamics in in vivo NEC
intestinal damage and (2) direct therapeutic effects specifically on NEC damaged epithelium in vitro with targeted
translation into human NEC disease. In addition, a comprehensive career development plan has been developed
that supports Dr. Weis’s continued scientific growth and transition into an independent investigator studying
pediatric intestinal disease models to identify, characterize, and translate novel therapeutics. An expert
multidisciplinary committee across the fields of novel translational stem cell therapy, in vitro organ/disease
modeling, advanced imaging and analysis, gastroenterology, and neonatology have been assembled and will
provide guidance for Dr. Weis’s career trajectory. This career development plan supplements Dr. Weis’s existing
skill-set and expertise in gastrointestinal cell biology and development/characterization of animal disease models
with advanced didactic coursework, mentoring in new skills, and laboratory training in in vitro model systems,
novel therapeutics, and translational research. Combined with mentoring and advising in oth...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10480795
- **Project number:** 5K01DK125633-02
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Victoria Weis
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $134,484
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-03 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10480795

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10480795, Therapeutic Mechanisms of Placental Stem Cell-Based Therapy in Necrotizing Enterocolitis (5K01DK125633-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10480795. Licensed CC0.

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