Researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Broad Institute report they have developed tissue-like structures in the laboratory to model barrier tissues, such as the intestines, to discover new targets for treatment. In a recent study, the researchers discovered a tissue-modifying molecule that can target intestinal stem cells and signal them to create Paneth cells, a rare but important cell type that can alter the gut microbiota. Previous studies have shown that Paneth cells are depleted in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and graft-versus-host disease. Replenishing these rare cells could represent a new therapeutic pathway. The team’s approach could also be used to identify molecules that could target other intestinal cell types.
