Wnt5a Potentiates TGF-β Signaling to Promote Colonic Crypt Regeneration After Tissue Injury

TLDR

The gut constantly faces threats from food, drugs, and pathogens, yet it has robust repair mechanisms whose details remain unclear. Miyoshi et al. used a mouse model to selectively injure intestinal crypts containing stem cells and monitor the repair process.

Abstract

Gut, Heal Thyself Foods, drugs, and pathogens all represent possible threats to our guts on a daily basis. Fortunately, the gut is quite good at repairing itself—but how? Working in mice, Miyoshi et al. (p. 108 , published online 6 September; see the Perspective by Barrett ) selectively injured intestinal crypts containing intestinal stem cells and observed therepair process. The noncanonical Wnt ligand, Wnt5a, was required for crypt regeneration. Wnt5a inhibited intestinal stem cell proliferation, which paradoxically promoted regeneration of crypt tissue.