Assoc. Prof. Duc Ninh Nguyen

Assoc. Prof. Duc Ninh Nguyen

TDTU Adjunct Professor
Faculty of Pharmacy

Place of work
Group leader in Newborn Infection & Immunity, Comparative Pediatrics (COPE), Faculty of Health and Medical Science (SUND), Univ. Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark

Research areas

Nutrition, gastroenterology and immunometabolism in early life. Host-pathogen interactions during early life infections. Special focus: translational approaches to optimize host defense strategies against newborn infections.

Research activities

  • Bæk O, Muk T, Wu Z, Ye Y, Khakimov B, Casano AM, Gangadharan B, Bilic I, Brunse A, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Altered hepatic metabolism mediates sepsis preventive effects of reduced glucose supply in infected preterm newborns. eLife. 2025; 13:RP97830.
  • Spiegelhauer MR, Offersen SM, Mao X, Gambino M, Nielsen DS, Nguyen DN, Brunse A. Protection against experimental necrotizing enterocolitis by fecal filtrate transfer requires an active donor virome. Gut Microbes. 2025; 17(1):2486517.
  • Tien NTN, Yen NTH, Phat NK, Anh NK, Thu NQ, Ensu C, Kim HS, Hoa VD, Nguyen DN, Kim DH, Oh JY, Long NP. Multi-omics and machine learning identify immunometabolic biomarkers for active tuberculosis diagnosis against non-tuberculosis mycobacteria and latent tuberculosis infection. Journal of Proteome Research. 2025.
  • Zhong J, Bæk O, Doughty R, Jørgensen BM, Jensen HE, Thymann T, Sangild PT, Brunse A, Nguyen DN. Reduced parenteral glucose supply during preterm neonatal infection attenuates neurological and renal pathology associated with modulation of innate and Th1 immunity. BBA Molecular Basis of Disease. 2025; 1871(4):167723.
  • Graspeuntner S, Lupatsii M, Zandbergen VV, Dammann MT, Page J, Nguyen DN, Gopel W, Herting E, Rupp J, Hartel C, Fortmann I. Infants <90 days of age with late-onset sepsis display disturbances of the microbiome-immunity interplay. Infection. 2025. 53(3):921-934.
  • Spiegelhauer MR, Offersen SM, Krych L, Nielsen DS, Gambino M, Brunse A, Nguyen DN. Characterization of a virulent bacteriophages consortium targeting Enterobacteriaceae from inflamed preterm gut mucosa. Future Virology. 2025. 
  • Offersen SM, Adamberg S, Spiegelhauer MR, Mao X, Rasmussen TS, Larsen F, Zhong J, Nguyen DN, Nielsen DS, Aunsholt L, Thymann T, Adamberg K, Brunse A. Chemostat culturing reduces fecal eukaryotic virus load and delays diarrhea after virome transplantation. eLife. 2025. 10.7554/eLife.105991.1
  • Thu NQ, Oh JH, Tien NTN, Park SM, Yen NTH, Phat NK, Hung TM, Nguyen TH, Nguyen DN, Yoon S, Kim DH, Long NP. The lipidome landscape of amiodarone toxicity: An in vivo lipid-centric multi-omics study. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 2025; 499:117341.
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  • Pedersen EK, Jensen SK, Nguyen DN, Xie Z, Bruun TS, Strathe AV. Supplementing sow diets with docosahexanoic acid alters fatty acid composition of sow blood and milk. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 2025. Accepted.
  • Zhong J, Pankratova S, Doughty R, Flyger CK, Sangild PT, Skovgaard K, Jensen HE, Nguyen DN, Thymann T. Postnatal enteral plasma supplementation following birth asphyxia increases fluid retention and kidney health in newborn pigs. Physiological Reports. 2025; 13(3):e70238.
  • Nhung TTT, Phat NK, Anh TT, Nghi TD, Thu NQ, Tien NTN, Anh NK, Kim K, Nguyen DN, Kim DH, Park SK, Long NP. Endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibition preserves mitochondrial function and cell survival during early onset of isoniazid-induced oxidative stress. Chemico-Biological Interactions. 2025. 411:111448.
  • Ye Y, Fang Y, Engholm-Keller K, Bechshøft M, Chatterton D, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN, Bering SB, Lund M. Protein digestibility and anti-inflammatory activity of processed whey protein ingredients for infant formula. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2025. 73(9):5465-5476.
  • Kanta JM, Lundsgaard A, Havelund JF, Armour SL, Bæk O, Nguyen DN, Richter EA, Knudsen JG, Kleinert M, Færgeman NJ, Fritzen AM, Kiens B. Metabolic effects of medium-chain triacylglycerol consumption are preserved in obesity. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2025; 328(1):E1-E20.
  • Tien NTN, Choi EJ, Thu NQ, Yu SJ, Nguyen DN, Kim DH, Long NP, Lee HS. An exploratory multi-omics study reveals distinct molecular signatures of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease and their correlation with disease activity. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2025; 255:116652.
  • Wu Z, Bæk O, Muk T, Yang L, Shen RL, Gangaharan B, Bilic I, Nielsen DS, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Feeding cessation and antibiotics improve clinical symptoms and alleviate gut and systemic inflammation in preterm pigs sensitive to necrotizing enterocolitis. Biomed Pharmacother. 2024; 179:117391. (Corresponding author).
  • Wu Z, Tien NTN, Bæk O, Zhong J, Klabunde B, Nguyen TT, Yen NTH, Long NP, Nguyen DN. Regulation of host metabolism and defense strategies to survive neonatal infection. BBA Molecular Basis of Disease. 2024. Accepted. Doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167482 (Corresponding author)
  • Bæk O, Muk T, Aunsholt L, Zachariassen G, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Systemic immune markers and infection risk in preterm infants fed human milk fortified with bovine colostrum or conventional fortifier, a secondary analysis of the Forticolos trial. Infection. 2024. Online ahead of print. (Corresponding author).
  • Zhong J, Johansen S, Bæk, O, Nguyen DN. Citrulline supplementation exacerbates sepsis severity in infected preterm piglets via early induced immunosuppression. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2024. Accepted. (Corresponding author)
  • Anh NK, Phat NK, Thu NQ, Tien NTN, Eunsu C, Kim HS, Nguyen DN, Kim DH, Long NP, Oh JY. Discovery of urinary biosignatures for tuberculosis and nontuberculosis mycobacteria classification using metabolomics and machine learning. Scientific Reports. 2024, 14:15312.
  • Dang BQ, Pham TTT, Nguyen DN, Long NP, Nguyen TT. Efficacy and safety of nasal high-frequency oscillation in preventing intubation in very-low-birth-weight infants with respiratory distress syndrome. Pediatrics and Neonatology. 2024. S1875-9572(24)00231-6.
  • Nguyen TT, Nguyen PMN, Nguyen TT, Nguyen PMT, Nguyen DN, Vu TH. Vietnam national survey on parenteral nutrition practices in preterm neonates: practice status, barriers and implications. Cureus. 2024. Doi: 10.7759/cureus.61187.
  • Zhong J, Doughty R, Thymann T, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN, Muk T. Insulin-like growth factor-1 effects on kidney development in preterm piglets. Pediatric Research. 2024. Accepted.
  • Bæk O, Rasmussen MB, Gerts T, Aunsholt L, Zachariassen G, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Insulin-like growth factor 1 associated with altered immune responses in preterm infants and pigs. Pediatric Research. 2024; 95(1):120-128. (Corresponding author).
  • Mortensen JS, Bohr SSR, Krog LS, Bøtker JP, Kapousidou V, Saaby L, Hatzakis NS, Nielsen HM, Nguyen DN, Rønholt S. Neonatal intestinal mucus barrier changes in response to maturity, inflammation, and sodium decanoate supplementation. Scientific Reports. 2024; 14:7665. (Co-corresponding author)
  • Sun J, Akillioglu HG, Zhong J, Muk T, Pan X, Lund MN, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN, Bering SB. Ultra-high temperature treatment of liquid infant formula, systemic immunity, and kidney development in preterm neonates. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. 2023. Online ahead of print.
  • Mortensen JS, Nguyen DN, Nielsen HM, Rønholt S. Effects of prophylactic antibiotics administration on barrier properties of intestinal mucosa and mucus from preterm newborn piglets. Drug Delivery and Translational Research. 2023; 13:1456-1469.
  • Muk T, Leto A, Brunse A, Stensballe A, Thymann T, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Neonatal prophylactic antibiotics after preterm birth affect plasma proteome and immune development in pigs. Pediatric Research. 2023. Online ahead of print. (Corresponding author)
  • Weil PP, Reincke S, Hirsch CA, Giachero F, Wunsche V, Aydin M, Scholz J, Jonsson F, Hagedorn C, Nguyen DN, Thymann T, Pembaur A, Orth V, Jiang P, Stefan W, Jenke ACW, Sangild PT, Kreppel F, Postberg J. Uncovering the gastrointestinal passage, intestinal epithelial cellular uptake and AGO2 loading of milk miRNAs in neonates using xenomiRs as tracers. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
  • Muk T, Brunse A, Henriksen NL, Aasmul-Olsen K, Nguyen DN. Glucose supply and glycolysis inhibition shape the clinical fate of Staphylococcus epidermidis-infected preterm newborns. JCI Insight. 2022; 7, 11, 18p. (Corresponding author).
  • Brunse A, Deng L, Pan X, Hui Y, Kot W, Nguyen DN, Secher J, Nielsen DS, Thymann T. Fecal filtrate transplantation protects against necrotizing enterocolitis. The ISME journal. 2022; 16:686-694.
  • Krogh AKH, Nguyen DN, Buchsen L, Nielsen LN. Comparing automated total nucleated cell count to manual cell count in amniotic fluid  from healthy and diseased pigs and classification of disease status. Veterinary Clinical Pathology. 2022, 51(2):231-236.
  • Pan X, Muk T, Ren S, Nguyen DN, Shen RL, Gao F, Sangild PT. Blood transcriptomic markers of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm pigs. Pediatric research. 2022; 91:1113-1120.
  • Brunse A, Offersen SM, Mosegaard JJ, Deng L, Damborg P, Nielsen DS, Sangild PT, Thymann T, Nguyen DN. Antibiotics antagonize the effect of fecal microbiota transplantation in preterm pigs. Gut Microbes. 2021; 13(1):1-16. (corresponding author).
  • Bæk O, Skadborg K, Muk T, Amdi C, Heegard PMH, Thymann T, Nguyen DN. Infant formula based on milk fat affects immune development in both normal birth weight and fetal growth restricted neonatal piglets. Nutrients. 2021, 13(10):3310. (corresponding author).
  • Ren S, Pan X, Hui Y, Kot W, Gao F, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Sub-clinical necrotizing enterocolitis-induced systemic immune suppression in neonatal preterm pigs. American Journal of Physiology- Gastrointestinal & Liver Physiology. 2021. 321(1):12-28 (corresponding author).
  • Sangild PT, Strunk T, Currie AJ, Nguyen DN. Editorial: immunity in compromised newborns. Frontiers in Immunology. 2021; 732332.
  • Aasmul-Olsen K, Henriksen NL, Nguyen DN, Heckmann AB, Thymann T, Sangild PT, Bering SB. Milk osteopontin for gut, immunity and brain development in preterm pigs. Nutrients. 2021; 13(8), 2675.
  • Bæk O, Cilieborg MS, Bering SB, Nguyen DN, Thyman T, Sangild PT. Sex-specific survival, growth, immunity and organ development in preterm pigs as models for immature newborns. Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2021; 9:626101.
  • Gao X, Li Y, Olin A, Nguyen DN. Fortification with bovine colostrum enhances the antimicrobial activity of human milk. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition. 2021; 45(7):1417-1424. (corresponding author).
  • Muk T, Jiang P, Stensballe A, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Prenatal intra-amniotic endotoxin induces neonatal renal inflammation via innate and Th1 immune activation in preterm pigs. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020; 11:565484. (corresponding author).
  • Jiang N, Muk T, Stensballe A, Nguyen DN, Sangild PT, Jiang P. Early protein markers of necrotizing enterocolitis in plasma of preterm pigs exposed to antibiotics. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020; 11:565862.
  • Bæk O, Ren S, Brunse A, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Impaired neonatal immunity and infection resistance following fetal growth restriction in preterm pigs. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020; 11:1808. (corresponding author).
  • Bæk O, Brunse A, Nguyen DN, Moodley A, Thymann T, Sangild PT. Diet modulates the high sensitivity to systemic infection in newborn preterm pigs. Frontiers in Immmunology. 2020; 10:1019.
  • Ren S, Pan X, Gao F, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Prenatal inflammation suppresses blood Th1 polarization and gene clusters related to cellular energy metabolism in preterm newborns. The FASEB journal. 2020; 34 (2), 2896-2911. (corresponding author).
  • Pan X, Zhang D, Nguyen DN, Wei W, Yu X, Gao F, Sangild PT. Postnatal gut immunity and microbiota development is minimally affected by prenatal inflammation in preterm pigs. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020; 10:420.
  • Ahnfeldt AM, Bæk O, Hui Y, Nielsen CH, Obelitz-Ryom K, Busk-Anderson T, Ruge A, Holst JJ, Rudloff S, Burrin D, Nguyen DN, Nielsen DS, Zachariassen G, Bering SB, Thymann T, Sangild PT. Nutrient restriction has limited short-term effects on gut, immunity and brain development in preterm pigs. Journal of Nutrition. 2020; 150 (5), 1196-1207.
  • Li Y, Pan X, Nguyen DN, Ren S, Moodley A, Sangild PT. Bovine colostrum before or after formula feeding improves gut function and systemic immune protection in newborn preterm pigs. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020. 10:3062.
  • Chatterton DEW, Aagaard S, Hansen TH, Nguyen DN, De Gobba C, Lametsch R, Sangild PT. Bioactive proteins in bovine colostrum and effects of heating, drying and irradiation. Food & Function. 2020. 2309-2327.
  • Alinaghi M, Nguyen DN, Sangild PT, Bertram HC. Direct implementation of intestinal permeability  test in NMR metabolomics for simultaneous biomarker discovery- A feasibility study in a preterm piglet model. Metabolites. 2020; 10:1.
  • Nielsen CH, Hui Y, Nguyen DN, Ahnfeldt AM, Burrin DG, Hartmann B, Heckmann AB, Sangild PT, Thymann T, Bering SB. Alpha-lactalbumin enriched whey protein concentrate to improve gut, immunity and brain development in preterm pigs. Nutrients. 2020; 12:1
  • Bæk O, Sangild PT, Thymann T, Nguyen DN. Growth restriction and systemic immune development in preterm piglets. Frontiers in Immunology. 2019; 10:2402. (corresponding author).
  • Muk T, Stensballe A, Pankratova S, Nguyen DN, Brunse A, Sangild PT, Jiang P. Rapid proteome changes in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid following bacterial infection in preterm newborn pigs. Frontiers in Immunology. 2019; 10:2651.
  • Ren S, Hui Y, Goericke-Pesch S, Pankratova S, Kot W, Pan X, Thymann T, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Gut and immune effects of bioactive milk factors in preterm pigs exposed to prenatal inflammation. American Journal of Physioly- Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2019; 317:66-77. (corresponding author)
  • Nguyen DN, Sangild PT. Pathogenesis and biomarkers for necrotizing enterocolitis: Getting any closer? EBioMedicine. 2019; 45:13–14. (corresponding author).            
  • Andersen AD, Nguyen DN, Langhorn L, Renes IB, van Elburg RM, Hartog A, Tims S, van de Looij Y, Sangild PT, Thymann T. Synbiotics combined with glutamine stimulate brain development and the immune system in preterm pigs. Journal of Nutrition. 2019; 149: 36-45.
  • Sun J, Li Y, Pan X, Nguyen DN, Brunse A, Bojesen AM, Rudloff S, Mortensen MS, Burrin DG, Sangild PT. Human milk fortification with bovine colostrum is superior to formula-based fortifiers to prevent gut dysfunction, necrotizing enterocolitis and systemic infection in preterm pigs. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2019; 43: 252-262.
  • Nguyen DN, Currie AJ, Ren S, Bering SB, Sangild PT. Heat treatment and irradiation reduce anti-bacterial and immune-modulatory properties of bovine colostrum. Journal of Functional Foods. 2019; 57:182–9.
  • Ren S, Hui Y, Obelitz-Ryom K, Brandt AB, Kot W, Nielsen DS, Thymann T, Sangild PT, Nguyen DN. Neonatal gut and immune maturation is determined more by postnatal age than post-conceptional age in moderately preterm pigs. American Journal of Physiology- Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2018; 315: 855-867. (corresponding author).
  • Nguyen DN, Thymann T, Goericke-Pesch SK, Ren S, Wei W, Skovgaard K, Damborg P, Brunse A, Van Gorp C, Kramer BW, Wolfs TG, Sangild PT. Prenatal intra-amniotic endotoxin induces fetal gut and lung immune responses and postnatal systemic inflammation in preterm pigs. American Journal of Pathology. 2018; 188: 2629-2643. 
  • Obelitz-Ryom K, Rendboe AK, Nguyen DN, Rudloff S, Brandt AB, Nielsen DS, Heckmann AB, Chichlowski M, Sangild PT, Thymann T, Bering SB. Bovine milk oligosaccharides with sialyllactose for preterm piglets. Nutrients. 2018; 10, E1489.
  • Sun J, Li Y, Nguyen DN, Mortensen MS, Akker CV, Skeath T, Pors SE, Pankratova S, Rudloff S, Sørensen SJ, Burrin D, Sangild PT. Nutrient fortification of human donor milk affects intestinal function and protein metabolism in preterm pigs. Journal of Nutrition. 2018; 148: 336-347
  • Pan X, Gong D, Nguyen DN, Zhang X, Hu Q, Lu H, Fredholm M, Sangild PT, Gao F. Early microbial colonization affects DNA methylation of genes related to intestinal immunity and metabolism in preterm pigs. DNA research. 2018; 25(3), 287-296.
  • Nguyen DN, Stensballe A, Lai JCY, Jiang P, Brunse A, Li Y, Sun J, Mallard C, Skeath T, Embleton ND, Berrington JE, Sangild PT. Elevated levels of circulating cell-free DNA and proteins associated with neutrophil extracellular traps in preterm neonates with neonatal sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. Innate Immunity. 2017; 23:524-536
  • Li Y, Nguyen DN, Obelitz-Ryom K, Andersen AD, Thymann T, Chatterton DEW, Purup S, Heckmann AB, Bering SB, Sangild PT. Bioactive whey protein concentrate and lactose stimulate gut function in formula-fed preterm pigs. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2017; 66:128-134.
  • Li Y, Nguyen DN, de Waard M, Christensen L, Zhou P, Jiang P, Sun J, Bojesen AM, Laudridsen C, Lykkesfeldt J, Dalsgaard TK, Bering SB, Sangild PT. Pasteurization procedures for donor human milk affect body growth, intestinal structure and resistance against bacterial infections in preterm pigs. Journal of Nutrition. 2017; 147(6): 1121-1130.
  • Rasmussen SO, Martin L, Østergaard MV, Rudloff S, Roggenbuck M, Nguyen DN, Sangild PT, Bering SB. Human milk oligosaccharide effects on intestinal function and inflammation after preterm birth in pigs. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2017; 40:141-154.
  • Nguyen DN, Jiang P, Frøkiær H, Heegaard, PMH, Thymann T, Sangild PT. Delayed development of systemic immunity in preterm pigs as a model for preterm infants. Scientific Reports. 2016;6:36816.
  • Nguyen DN, Jiang P, Stensballe A, Bendixen E, Sangild PT, Chatterton DEW. Bovine lactoferrin regulates cell survival, apoptosis and inflammation in intestinal epithelial cells and preterm pig intestine. Journal of Proteomics. 2016;139:95–102.
  • Nguyen DN, Sangild PT, Li Y, Bering SB, Chatterton DEW. Processing of whey modulates proliferative and immune functions in intestinal epithelial cells. Journal of Dairy Science. 2016;99:959–69.
  • Birck MM#, Nguyen DN#, Cilieborg MS, Kamal SS, Nielsen DS, Damborg P, Olsen JE, Lauridsen C, Sangild PT, Thymann T. Enteral but not parenteral antibiotics enhance gut function and prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in formula-fed newborn preterm pigs. American Journal of Physiology- Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2016; 310:G323-333. #: co-first authors.
  • Nguyen DN, Fuglsang E, Jiang P, Birck MM, Pan X, Kamal SB, Pors SE, Gammelgaard PL, Nielsen DS, Thymann T, et al. Oral antibiotics increase blood neutrophil maturation and reduce bacteremia and necrotizing enterocolitis in the immediate postnatal period of preterm pigs. Innate Immunity. 2016; 22:51–62.
  • Nguyen DN, Jiang P, Jacobsen S, Sangild PT, Bendixen E, Chatterton DEW. Protective effects of transforming growth factor β2 in intestinal epithelial cells by regulation of proteins associated with stress and endotoxin responses. PLoS ONE. 2015; 10:e0117608.
  • Nguyen DN, Sangild PT, Østergaard MV, Bering SB, Chatterton DEW. Transforming growth factor β2 and endotoxin interact to regulate homeostasis via interleukin 8 levels in the immature intestine. American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2014; 307(7):G689-99.
  • Nguyen DN, Li Y, Sangild PT, Bering SB, Chatterton DEW. Effects of bovine lactoferrin on the immature porcine intestine. British Journal of Nutrition. 2014; 111:321–31.
  • Chatterton DEW, Nguyen DN, Bering SB, Sangild PT. Anti-inflammatory mechanisms of bioactive milk proteins in the intestine of newborns. International Journal Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 2013;45:1730–47.