NETs — protective or harmful in newborn inflammation and infection?
Official title: NETs: Protection or Harm in Neonatal Inflammation or Infection
Run by University of Utah · NCT00747851 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will test how immune cells from very premature babies at risk for NEC make proteins when exposed to a substance called PAF, comparing them with cells from healthy term infants and adults.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | Any age to 1 Hour |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 388 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Utah Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Salt Lake City, Utah) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 2003 |
| Main results expected | April 30, 2026 |
| Study ends | April 30, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | December 5, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT00747851 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are infants born very preterm or very low birth weight (birth weight 501–1500 g or ≤30 weeks gestation) and healthy term infants whose cord blood can be collected within the first hour after delivery with parental consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Because this is an in vitro observational laboratory study, participating infants are unlikely to receive any direct medical benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a prospective in vitro cell biology project that isolates polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) from cord blood of very low birth weight or very preterm infants and from healthy term infants. Collected PMNs are stimulated with platelet-activating factor (PAF) and examined for protein synthesis of inflammatory modulators such as IL-6Rα and RARα. The study also characterizes activity and expression of the mTOR translational control pathway in these neonatal PMNs and compares results to previously observed adult PMN responses. Cord blood is collected within the first hour of life and samples are analyzed in the laboratory without any clinical intervention on the infants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify abnormal PMN protein-synthesis or mTOR signaling in preterm infants and suggest new targets to prevent or treat NEC.
How similar studies have gone: Animal models have shown that PAF antagonists can prevent NEC-like disease and adult PMN studies have characterized related protein responses, but applying these methods to PMNs from very preterm infants is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients hospitalized in the NICU who were less than or equal to 1500 grams or less than 30 weeks gestational age at birth; Term infants delivered at UUMC without complication, either via cesarean section or vaginal delivery; Cord blood isolated within first hour of life; and parents or guardians must have signed informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Infants with major congenital anomalies will be excluded.
Where it's running
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University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Christian C Yost, M.D. — University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Christian C Yost, M.D.
- Email: christian.yost@hmbg.utah.edu
- Phone: 801/581-7052
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
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Effect of donor milk or formula and fortification strategies on outcomes in very preterm infants
In very preterm babies, the study tests whether supplementing the infant's mother's milk with pasteurized donor milk or preterm formula, and using routine versus selective fortification, can improve survival without NEC and support development.
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Using AI to predict necrotizing enterocolitis in premature babies through stool analysis
This study is trying to see if using AI to analyze stool samples from premature babies can help predict who is at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis, so doctors can take steps to prevent it.
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FMT as a preventive measure for NEC in premature infants
This study tests whether giving fecal microbiota transplantation to preterm babies can safely prevent necrotizing enterocolitis.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.