Metabonomic Biomarkers of Gut Function and Health: Modeling Enteropathy (EE) and Field Validation

Richard Guerrant of the University of Virginia in the U.S. and co-investigators will develop and validate non-invasive metabolic biomarkers of gut health to identify children at risk of environmental enteropathy and developmental impairment, in order to assess interventions. They will use ongoing MAL-ED (malnutrition and enteric diseases) and NIH-supported clinical studies in malnourished and control children, and their own studies in novel murine models, along with a nuclear magnetic resonance approach to perform metabolic profiling of urine, plasma and feces samples. Their goal is to improve the growth, nutrition and development of children at high risk of environmental enteropathy that can lead to morbidity and mortality.