Investigators uncover small molecule to engineer intestinal cell types
“Our paper provides the first approach to engineering our barrier tissues like the intestine by targeting and activating stem cells in situ and causing new important cell types to form,” said co-lead author Benjamin Mead, PhD, of the Broad Institute. “This could be used to potentially treat a wide range of diseases by manipulating the cell composition of the intestine.”
“This approach has wide ranging implications and can be used to manipulate the cellular makeup of the intestine, including cells that can enhance barrier function, produce gut hormones, or that have key roles in coordinating insulin levels as well as food digestion and absorption,” said co-corresponding author Jeff Karp, PhD, Distinguished Chair in Clinical Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. “This approach also enables a completely new strategy to manipulate gut microbiota and thus offer insights into the treatment of a wide range of diseases.”