2026-09-16 ワシントン大学セントルイス校
＜関連情報＞
- https://source.washu.edu/2026/09/gut-microbiome-features-predict-devastating-disease-affecting-preemies/
- https://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2026/09/09/gutjnl-2026-338976
腸内ファージと細菌耐性遺伝子群によって定義される、壊死性腸炎に至る多様な微生物学的前兆 Divergent microbial preludes to necrotising enterocolitis defined by gut phages and bacterial resistomes
Kailun Zhang, Mark G Gorelik, Janice E Sullivan, Paula Radmacher, Marilyn Escobedo, Barbara B Warner, Phillip I Tarr, Gautam Dantas
Gut Published September 16, 2026
DOI:10.1136/gutjnl-2026-338976
Abstract
Background Translating microbiome correlations into robust predictive features for complex gut disorders remains elusive, partly due to oversimplified models of pathogenesis and neglect of the virome, a key player in microbial ecosystems. Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating disease of preterm infants with no reliable clinical predictors, exemplifies this challenge.
Objective To determine the predictive potential of the gut prophageome and polymicrobial aetiologies for NEC.
Design We applied integrated metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses and machine learning to 1825 longitudinal stool samples from 43 preterm infants who later developed NEC and 86 gestational age-matched and birthweight-matched controls across three US hospitals. We characterised gut prophageome acquisitions and their association with clinical exposures, including antibiotics, diet and pharmacotherapies. To predict NEC risk, we integrated pre-onset prophageome, antibacterial resistome and bacteriome profiles with neonatal pathology, stratifying the cohort by disease onset timing (early: ≤40 days; late: >40 days) for separate analysis.
Results NEC cases exhibited distinct viral diversity trajectories before disease onset. Early-onset NEC was best predicted by phage-bacterial interaction signatures (75% accuracy, 81% sensitivity). Metatranscriptomics revealed increased phage DNA abundance with low gene expression, suggesting a lysogenic lifestyle that may stabilise pathobionts. These phages encode metabolic genes potentially enhancing pathobiont resilience. Late-onset NEC was best predicted by antibacterial resistome profiles (83% accuracy).
Conclusion The gut prophageome serves as both a source of pre-symptomatic predictive signals and an active modulator of NEC pathogenesis, with distinct microbial mechanisms driving early-onset and late-onset disease. These polymicrobial etiologies inform strategies for early detection, risk stratification and the development of microbiome-targeted preventive and therapeutic interventions.
