Science, Space and Technology News 2024
Two recent studies by Columbia University scientists reveal a significant error in stem cell research: the gut’s stem cells identified over 15 years ago are not the actual stem cells. New tools have uncovered the true stem cells, which are located differently and could reshape the field of regenerative medicine by enabling therapies that repair various organs.
“We know we’re making a lot of waves in the field, but if we’re going to make progress, we need to identify the true stem cells so we can target these cells for therapies,” says Kelley Yan, the Herbert Irving Assistant Professor of Medicine.Why does the gut need stem cells? TW: For the last 17 years, the intestinal stem cell field has assumed that Lgr5, a protein on the cell’s surface, is a specific marker for intestinal stem cells. In other words, all Lgr5+ cells are assumed to be stem cells, and all stem cells are believed to be Lgr5+. These Lgr5+ cells were located at the very bottom of glands, or crypts, in the intestinal lining.
These algorithms revealed the source of “stemness” in the intestine not in the Lgr5+ cellular pool but in another type of cell higher up in the crypts in a region known as the isthmus. After eliminating Lgr5+ cells with radiation or genetic ablation, we confirmed these isthmus cells were the gut’s stem cells and able to regenerate the intestinal lining. We didn’t find any evidence that other, mature cells could turn back time and become stem cells.
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