# Assessing Variation in Fecal Bile Acids as a Novel Early Indicator of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · 2024 · $638,753

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Despite advances in neonatology, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains the most common GI emergency of
premature infants with significant morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of NEC is unclear, non-
surgical treatments are mainly supportive, and no predictive tests are currently available. In experimental
models of NEC, we have shown that bile acids (BA) play a critical role in NEC pathogenesis. Recently, using
prospectively collected, serial fecal samples from premature infants, we have shown that infants who develop
NEC have significantly higher coefficient of variation of total fecal bile acids (CV-TBA) than matched controls.
Importantly, these variations occur well prior of diagnosis. We hypothesize that variation of TBA can predict
development of NEC and aim to build and validate predictive models from daily fecal samples collected from
the NICUs at Banner University Medical Center - Tucson and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Successful completion of this proposal could lead to implementation of the first predictive test for this
devastating disorder.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10801814
- **Project number:** 1R01DK135567-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- **Principal Investigator:** MELISSA D HALPERN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $638,753
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-03-15 → 2029-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10801814

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10801814, Assessing Variation in Fecal Bile Acids as a Novel Early Indicator of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (1R01DK135567-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10801814. Licensed CC0.

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