Small intestinal stem cell identity is maintained with functional Paneth cells in heterotopically grafted epithelium onto the colon.

ABSTRACT: To develop stem cell therapy for small intestinal (SI) diseases, it is essential to determine whether SI stem cells in culture retain their tissue regeneration capabilities. By using a heterotopic transplantation approach, we show that cultured murine SI epithelial organoids are able to reconstitute self-renewing epithelia in the colon. When stably integrated, the SI-derived grafts show many features unique only to the SI but distinct from the colonic epithelium. Our study provides evidence that cultured adult SI stem cells could be a source for cell therapy of intestinal diseases, maintaining their identity along the gastrointestinal tract through an epithelium-intrinsic mechanism.

SUBMITTER: Fukuda M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4197962 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature