The ErbB4 Ligand Neuregulin-4 Protects against Experimental Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) affects up to 10% of premature infants, has a mortality of 30%, and can leave surviving patients with significant morbidity. Neuregulin-4 (NRG4) is an ErbB4-specific ligand that promotes epithelial cell survival. Thus, this pathway could be protective in diseases such as NEC, in which epithelial cell death is a major pathologic feature. We sought to determine whether NRG4-ErbB4 signaling is protective in...