Adam Matson, M.D., M.Sc.

Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology

Email: amatson@connecticutchildrens.org

Publications

Adam Matson, MD, MSc, is a Neonatologist and Physician Scientist in the Division of Neonatology at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Dr. Matson’s clinical expertise is in neonatal intensive care. He runs a basic/translational research laboratory at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and is Director of Connecticut Children’s Neonatal Biorepository. He has served as principal investigator and collaborator/physician-scientist on grants from the American Lung Association, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Research

The Matson Lab research focus is on the regulation of intestinal health in premature infants including the microbiome, inflammatory signaling in the gut, and nutritional/immune factors in breast milk. His group was the first to report a link between cytotoxin-producing Klebsiella oxytoca and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe and life-threatening intestinal inflammatory disease of premature infants. The Matson Lab is working toward a deeper understanding of the contextual factors that incite colonizing microbes to become pathogenic and induce NEC. Their research is also determining how metabolic products produced by beneficial bacteria can optimize intestinal health and prevent this catastrophic disease of prematurity.

Team

  • Adam Matson, M.D., M.S.
  • Katrin Unterhauser, Ph.D.
  • Karim Rezaul, Ph.D.
  • Stephanie Lesmes, B.S.
  • Spencer Coleman, B.S.

Former Lab Members/Trainees

  • Nagender Ledala, Ph.D.
  • Mishika Malik, M.D.
  • Sara Paveglio, Ph.D., M.S.
  • Jennifer Caldwell, M.D.
  • Tristan Lindberg, M.D.
  • Kezhen Huang, Ph.D.
  • Erin Bennett, M.S.
  • Andrew Draghi, Ph.D.
  • Maushumi Assad, M.D.
  • Jasmeet Mokha M.D, M.P.H.
  • Ektor Rafti, M.D.
  • Arvin Bundhoo, M.D.
  • Ashish Dhongade, MBBS, M.D.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

  1. Coleman S, Unterhauser K, Rezaul K, Ledala N, Lesmes S, Caimano MJ, Zhou Y, Jackson E, Gratalo D, Driscoll MD, Matson AP. High-resolution microbiome analysis reveals exclusionary Klebsiella species competition in preterm infants at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis. Sci Rep. 2023 May 16;13(1):7893. PMID: 37193703; PMCID: PMC10188488.
  2. Suther C, Devon L, Daddi L, Matson A, Panier H, Yuan H, Saar K, Bokoliya S, Dorsett Y, Sela DA, Beigelman A, Bacharier LB, Moore MD, Zhou Y. Dietary Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata) ameliorates murine allergic asthma through modulation of the gut microbiome. J Funct Foods. 2022 Sep;97:105249.
  3. Zhao T, Alder NN, Starkweather AR, Chen MH, Matson AP, Xu W, Balsbaugh JL, Cong X. Associations of mitochondrial function, stress, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early life: A systematic review. Dev Neurosci.2022 Aug 22; [Epub ahead of print]. PMID:35995037.
  4. Little M, Dutta M, Li H, Matson A, Shi X, Mascarinas G, Molla B, Weigel K, Gu H, Mani S, Cui JY. Understanding the physiological functions of the host xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptors PXR and CAR on the gut microbiome using genetically modified mice. Acta Pharm Sin B. 2022 Feb;12(2):801-820. PMCID:
  5. Ledala N, Malik M, Rezaul K, Paveglio S, Provatas A, Kiel A, Caimano M, Zhou Y, Lindgren J, Krasulova K, Illes P, Dvořák Z, Kortagere S, Kienesberger S, Cosic A, Pöltl L, Zechner EL, Ghosh S, Mani S, Radolf JD, Matson AP. Bacterial Indole as a Multifunctional Regulator of Klebsiella oxytoca Complex Enterotoxicity. mBio. 2022 Jan 25; [Epub ahead of print]. PMCID: PMC8787480.
  6. Casavant SG, Chen J, Xu W, Lainwala S, Matson A, Chen MH, Starkweather A, Mass K, Cong XS. Multi-Omics analysis on neurodevelopment in preterm neonates: A protocol paper. Nurs Res. 2021 Nov-Dec 01;70(6):462-468. PMCID:
  7. Caldwell J, Matson AP, Mosha M, Hagadorn JI, Moore J, Brownell E. Maternal H-antigen secretor status is an early biomarker for potential preterm delivery. J Perinatol.2021 Sep;41(9):2147-2155.  PMID:33235282.
  8. Graf J, Ledala N, Caimano MJ, Jackson E, Gratalo D, Fasulo D, Driscoll MD, Coleman S, Matson AP. Tracking Closely Related Enteric Bacteria at High Resolution in Fecal Samples of Premature Infants Using a Novel rRNA Amplicon. mBio. 2021 Feb 16:12(1):e03656-20. PMCID: PMC8545133.
  9. Paveglio S, Ledala N, Rezaul K, Lin Q, Zhou Y, Provatas AA, Bennett E, Lindberg T, Caimano M, Matson AP. Cytotoxin-producing Klebsiella oxytocain the preterm gut and its association with necrotizing enterocolitis. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2020 Dec;9(1):1321-1329. PMCID: PMC7473113.
  10. Dvořák Z, Kopp F, Costello CM, Kemp JS, Li H, Vrzalová A, Štěpánková M, Bartoňková I, Jiskrová E, Poulíková K, Vyhlídalová B, Nordstroem LU, Karunaratne CV, Ranhotra HS, Mun KS, Naren AP, Murray IA, Perdew GH, Brtko J, Toporova L, Schön A, Wallace WG, Walton WG, Redinbo MR, Sun K, Beck A, Kortagere S, Neary MC, Chandran A, Vishveshwara S, Cavalluzzi MM, Lentini G, Cui JY, Gu H, March JC, Chatterjee S, Matson A, Wright D, Flannigan KL, Hirota SA, Sartor RB, Mani S. Targeting the pregnane X receptor using microbial metabolite mimicry. EMBO Mol Med.2020 Apr 7;12(4):e11621. PMCID: PMC7136958.
  11. Lindberg TP, Caimano MJ, Hagadorn JI, Bennett EM, Maas K, Brownell EA, Matson AP. Preterm infant gut microbial patterns related to the development of necrotizing enterocolitis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med.2020 Feb;33(3):349-358. PMID:29909714.
  12. Mokha JS, Davidovics ZH, Maas K, Caimano MJ, Matson AP. Fecal microbiomes in premature infants with and without parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2019 Aug;69(2):224-30. PMID:31058777.
  13. Adami AJ, Bracken SJ, Guernsey LA, Rafti E, Maas K, Graf J, Matson AP, Thrall RS, Schramm CM. Early-life antibiotics attenuate regulatory T cell generation and increase the severity of murine house dust mite-induced asthma. Pediatr Res. 2018 Sep;84(3):426-434. PMCID:
  14. Brownell EA, Matson AP, Smith KC, Moore JE, Esposito PA, Lussier MM, Lerer TJ, Hagadorn JI. Dose-response relationship between donor human milk, mother’s own milk, preterm formula, and neonatal growth outcomes. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2018 July;67(1):90-96. PMID:29543698.
  15. Bracken SJ, Adami, AJ, Rafti E, Schramm CM, Matson AP. Regulation of IgE activity in inhalation tolerance via formation of IgG anti-IgE/IgE immune complexes. Clin Mol Allergy. 2018;16:13. eCollection:1-4. PMCID: PMC5960149.
  16. Huang K, Mukherjee S, DesMarais, V, Albanese JM, Rafti E, Draghi A, Maher LA, Khanna KM, Mani S, Matson AP. Targeting the PXR-TLR4 signaling pathway to reduce intestinal inflammation in an experimental model of necrotizing enterocolitis. Pediatr Res. 2018 May;83(5):1031-1040. PMCID:
  17. Fitzstevens JL, Smith KC, Hagadorn JI, Caimano MJ, Matson AP, Brownell EA. Systematic review of the human milk microbiota. Nutr Clin Pract. 2017 Jun;32(3):354-364. PMID:27679525.
  18. Paveglio S, Bennett E, Hawley KL, and Matson AP. Letter to the Editor: FcεRI-cross-linking reduces cord blood dendritic cell responsiveness to lipopolysaccharides. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017 Jun;139(6):1992-1994.e3. PMID:27919739.
  19. Briere CE, McGrath JM, Jensen T, Matson A, Finck C. Breast milk stem cells: current science and implications for preterm infants. Adv Neonatal Care. 2016 Dec;16(6):410-419. PMID:27749687.
  20. Cong X, Xu W, Janton S, Henderson WA, Matson A, McGrath JM, Maas K, Graf J. Gut microbiome developmental patterns in early life of preterm infants: impacts of feeding and gender. PloS One. 2016;11(4):e0152751. PMCID:
  21. Bundhoo A, Paveglio S, Rafti E, Dhongade A, Blumberg RS, Matson AP. Evidence that FcRn mediates the transplacental passage of maternal IgE in the form of IgG anti-IgE/IgE immune complexes. Clin Exp Allergy. 2015 Jun;45:1085-98. PMCID:
  22. Braken SJ, Adami AJ, Szczepanek SM, Ehsan M, Natarajan P Guernsey L, Matson AP, Schramm CM, Thrall RS. Long-term exposure to house dust mite leads to the suppression of allergic airway disease despite persistent lung inflammation. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2015;166(4):243-258. PMCID:
  23. Secor ER Jr, Szczepanek SM, Castater CA, Adami AJ, Matson AP, Rafti ET, Guernsey L, Natarajan P, McNamara JT, Schramm CM, Thrall RS, Silbart LK. Bromelain inhibits allergic sensitization and murine asthma via modulation of dendritic cells. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;702196:1-9. PMCID:
  24. Matson AP, Cloutier M, Dhongade A, Puddington, Rafti E. Maternal allergy is associated with surface-bound IgE on cord blood basophils. Pediatr Allergy and Immunol. 2013 Sep;24:614-621. PMCID:
  25. Szczepanek S, Secor E, Bracken S, Guernsey L, Rafti E, Matson A, Thrall R, and Andemariam B. Transgenic sickle cell disease mice have high mortality and dysregulated immune responses after vaccination. Pediatr Res. 2013 Aug;74:141-147. PMCID:
  26. Paveglio S, Puddington L, Rafti E, Matson AP. FcRn-mediated intestinal absorption of IgG anti-IgE/IgE immune complexes in mice. Clin Exp Allergy. 2012 Dec;42:1791-1800. PMCID: Selected for an “Accompanying Editorial” highlighting the importance of the article.
  27. Jensen T, Roszell B, Weiss D, Zang F, Matson A, Thrall R, Claffey K, Finck C. A rapid lung de-cellularization protocol supports embryonic stem cell differentiation in vitro and following implantation. Tissue Eng Part C Methods. 2012 Aug;18:632-646. PMCID:
  28. Matson AP and Marinelli KA. ABM Clinical Protocol #24: Allergic proctocolitis in the exclusively breastfed infant. Breastfeed Med. 2011 Dec;6(6):435-40. PMID: 22050274.
  29. Matson AP, Thrall RS, Rafti E, Lingenheld EG, and Puddington L. IgG transmitted from allergic mothers decreases allergic sensitization in breastfed offspring. Clin Mol Allergy. 2010 Jul 13;8:9. PMCID: PMC2914046.
  30. Matson AP, Thrall RS, Rafti E, and Puddington L. Breast milk from allergic mothers can protect offspring from allergic airway inflammation. Breastfeed Med. 2009 Sep;4(3):167-174. PMCID:
  31. Matson AP, Zhu L, Lingenheld EG, Schramm CM, Clark RB, Selander DM, Thrall RS, Breen E and Puddington L. Maternal transmission of resistance to development of allergic airway disease. J Immunol. 2007 Jul 15;179(2):1282-91. PMCID: PMC: 3155847.
  32. Matson AP, Van Kruiningen HJ, West AB, Cartun RW, Colombel JF and Cortot A. The relationship of granulomas to blood vessels in intestinal Crohn’s disease. Mod Pathol. 1995 Aug;8(6):680-5. PMID: 8532706.

Invited Publications (not peer-reviewed)

  1. Report for National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD): Bundhoo A and Matson A. Necrotizing enterocolitis. 2015.
  2. Commentary, News and Views: Puddington L and Matson A. Breathing easier with breast milk. Nat Med. 2008 Feb;14(2):116-118. PMID: 18256610.