Intestinal Epithelium Stem Cells Research Articles

Thyroid hormone signaling in the intestinal stem cells and their niche.

Several studies emphasized the function of the thyroid hormones in stem cell biology. These hormones act through the nuclear hormone receptor TRs, which are T3-modulated transcription factors. Pioneer work on T3-dependent amphibian metamorphosis showed that the crosstalk between the epithelium and the underlying mesenchyme is absolutely required for intestinal maturation and stem cell emergence. With the recent advances ofpowerful animal models and 3D-organoid cultures, similar findings have now begun to be described in mammals, where the action of T3 and TRα1 control physiological and cancer-related stem cell biology. In this review, we have summarized recent findings on the multiple functionsof T3 and TRα1 in intestinal epithelium stem cells, cancer stem cells and their niche. In particular, we have highlighted the regulation of metabolic functions directly linked to normal and/or cancer stem cell biology. These findings help explain other possible mechanisms by which TRα1 controls stem cell biology, beyond the more classical Wnt and Notch signaling pathways.

Stem cells of intestinal epithelium. The mechanisms of survival and the role of microbiota

The thanatogenetic mechanisms of stem cells (sc) of rapidly renewing system of intestinal epithelium still remain unclear. on the one hand they are definitely involved into basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis in the gastrointestinal tract, because dysregulation of programs responsible for elimination of “unwanted” mutant cells (which are normally under immune and own intrinsic control) is one of the reasons of neoplastic expansion. on the other hand elucidation and characterization of the regulatory machinery controlling sc survival are interrelated with problems of clinical medicine, including the increase of therapeutic efficiency of treatment of inflammatory and ulcer lesions of the gut, traumatic and surgical wounds, as well as restriction of side effects in normal tissues induced by application of intensive methods chemo- and radiotherapy of cancer. the latter is especially important for treatment of blood diseases and tumors of peritoneal cavity organs mainly due to bone marrow and intestinal epithelium damage. (These tissues are the most sensitive to these treatments.) The review considers data on exogenous and genetic modifiers of sc survival, and also the basic principles of mechanisms involved into renewal and regeneration of sc and the effects of microbiota on these processes.