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Intestinal Epithelial Regeneration in Response to Ionizing Irradiation
Published on: July 27, 2022
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Injury-associated reacquiring of intestinal stem cell function
1Ferenc Sipos, Györgyi Műzes, 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1088 Budapest, Hungary.
World Journal of Gastroenterology
|February 27, 2015
Summary
Label-retaining cells (LRCs) in the intestine are Lgr5-positive stem cells that differentiate into specific cell types during homeostasis. Upon injury, these intestinal stem cells show plasticity, rejoining the self-renewing pool for regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- The intestinal epithelium relies on stem cells for homeostasis and regeneration.
- Two stem cell types exist: cycling crypt base columnar cells and quiescent cells.
- The precise nature of quiescent stem cells remains unclear, with research focusing on markers over label-retaining populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional plasticity and lineage of quiescent label-retaining cells (LRCs) in the intestinal epithelium.
- To understand the role of LRCs in intestinal homeostasis and regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a lineage tracing strategy to mark LRCs in the intestinal epithelium.
- Employed pulse-chase analysis to track the behavior of marked LRCs over time.
Main Results:
- During homeostasis, LRCs were identified as Lgr5-positive and differentiated into Paneth and neuroendocrine cells.
- LRCs demonstrated functional plasticity, capable of clonogenic growth and rejoining the stem cell pool following epithelial injury.
Conclusions:
- Intestinal epithelial homeostasis involves a hierarchical and spatial organization of stem and progenitor cells.
- LRCs exhibit significant plasticity, playing a crucial role in tissue regeneration after injury.
- These findings provide motivation for studying LRCs in diseases like colorectal cancer.
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