Gut Stem Cells Replace Their Neighbors As They Are Lost, Surprising Scientists

Scientists used to think that gut (intestine) stem cells replaced each other in a predetermined hierarchical way, so they were surprised to find that they, in fact, replace each other in a “one in, one out” system, according to new research published in the journal Science. This means that each individual stem cell can equally produce other stem cells, and in due course any type of cell in the gut.

The researchers, from Cancer Research UK, say the behavior of these gut cells could help in finding novel treatments for bowel cancer.

Stem cells produce a wide array of different cells, replacing those in the gut wall which divides, regrows and regenerates all the time. This discovery demonstrates the flexibility of the gut wall so that any type of stem cell can be used to make all types of stem cell – responding rapidly to those that are lost.

Lead researcher, Dr Doug Winton, who works at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute, said:

We’ve shown for the first time how the population of stem cells is maintained in the gut and essentially it is a random process with no predetermined fate for the stem cells. This research is a great example of collaborative research – we’ve brought together biologists and physicists to answer questions about how stem cells divide – and it’s through these type of collaborations we hope to answer more questions about stem cells and their links to cancer.

To maintain the lining of the gut, healthy stem cells typically multiply. However, when they develop a fault they become cancer cells and multiply chaotically, resulting in the formation of a tumor.

Director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, Dr Lesley Walker, said:

This basic biology research could one day lead to real benefits for patients. Cancer stem cells are more resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy than the cells that make up the bulk of a tumour, so understanding more about how they behave could lead to better treatments for bowel cancer.

The scientists marked specific cells in laboratory mice and tracked their change and what occurred when they divided into clones. They found that neighboring cells would multiply to replace lost ones.