For children with intestinal failure, getting the nutrition they need to grow and thrive can require long-term intravenous nutrition. While lifesaving, this treatment can lead to serious complications including infections, liver disease and repeated hospitalizations, creating a significant burden for children and their families.
Mitchell Ryan Ladd, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is working to change that. His research focuses on developing a tissue-engineered small intestine that could one day restore intestinal function and give children an alternative to lifelong intravenous nutrition.
As a recipient of the 2024–2026 CTSI K12 Mentored Career Development Award, Dr. Ladd is advancing research aimed at engineering replacement intestine for children with short bowel syndrome. The CTSI K12 program provides two years of support and multidisciplinary mentorship to help early-career faculty build the skills needed to translate promising research into meaningful improvements in health.
Moving Research Toward Better Patient Care
Dr. Ladd and the research team have developed an intestinal scaffold that helps muscle cells grow in the organized pattern necessary for normal intestinal movement. This important step moves the research closer to the longer-term goal of creating a functional replacement intestine.
For patients, the potential impact is significant. A successful tissue-engineered intestine could help children:
- Have less need for long-term intravenous nutrition and the intensive care it requires.
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Reduce serious complications, including infections, liver disease and repeated hospitalizations.
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Restore more normal intestinal function, allowing the body to better absorb nutrients and move food through the digestive system.
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Experience better quality of life and potentially have improved long-term survival.
By advancing the development of a replacement intestine, Dr. Ladd’s research could transform care for children with intestinal failure, moving treatment beyond managing a lifelong condition toward restoring function, reducing complications and helping children live healthier, longer lives. To learn more about how research is advancing care for children with intestinal failure, view Dr. Ladd's impact profile.