Uncovering basic mechanisms of intestinal stem cell self-renewal and differentiation

The gut plays a central role in the regulation of the body’s metabolism and its dysfunction is associated with a variety of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, colitis and colorectal cancer that affect millions of people worldwide. Targeting endocrine dysfunction by stimulating the formation of specific enteroendocrine cells from intestinal stem cells could be a promising regenerative approach for diabetes therapy. For this, a detailed understanding of the intestinal stem cell lineage and the signals regulating the recruitment of intestinal cell types is critical.