Current understanding concerning intestinal stem cells.
In mammals, the intestinal epithelium is a tissue that contains two distinct pools of stem cells: active intestinal stem cells and reserve intestinal stem cells. The former are located in the crypt basement membrane and are responsible for maintaining epithelial homeostasis under intact conditions, whereas the latter exhibit the capacity to facilitate epithelial regeneration after injury. These two pools of cells can convert into each other, maintaining their quantitative balance. In terms of the active intestinal stem cells, their development into functional epithelium is precisely controlled by the following signaling pathways: Wnt/β-catenin, Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk/MAPK, Notch and BMP/Smad. However, mutations in some of the key regulator genes associated with these signaling pathways, such as APC, Kras and Smad4, are also highly associated with gut malformations. At this point, clarifying the biological characteristics of intestinal stem cells will increase the feasibility of preventing or treating some intestinal diseases, such as colorectal cancer. Moreover, as preclinical data demonstrate the therapeutic effects of colon stem cells on murine models of experimental colitis, the prospects of stem cell-based regenerative treatments for ulcerous lesions in the gastrointestinal tract will be improved all the same.
Shuang Cui, Peng-Yu Chang, Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China.
Shuang
S
Cui
Shuang Cui, Peng-Yu Chang, Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China.
Peng-Yu
PY
Chang
D000818:Animals; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000032:analysis; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000628:therapy
C116884:LGR5 protein, human; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
Cell development; Colorectal cancer; Intestinal stem cell