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SPECIALITY
New link between diet,
intestinal stem cells and
disease discovered
he intestine is essential biologists at Helmholtz Munich, found out is of crucial importance
for maintaining our energy we then profiled 27,000 intestinal for developing alternative
Tbalance and is a master cells from control diet and high non-invasive therapies,” says
at reacting quickly to changes in fat/high sugar diet-fed mice. study leader Heiko Lickert, in
nutrition and nutrient balance. It Using new machine learning summarizing the results. To date,
manages to do this with the help techniques, we thus found that there is no pharmacological
of intestinal cells that among intestinal stem cells divide and approach to prevent, stop or
other things are specialized in the differentiate significantly faster in reverse obesity and diabetes.
absorption of food components the mice on an unhealthy diet.” Only bariatric surgery causes
or the secretion of hormones. In The researchers hypothesize that permanent weight loss and
adult humans, the intestinal cells this is due to an upregulation of can even lead to remission
regenerate every five to seven the relevant signaling pathways, of diabetes. However, these
days. The ability to constantly which is associated with an surgeries are invasive, non-
renew and develop all types of acceleration of tumor growth in reversible and costly to the
intestinal cells from intestinal many cancers. “This could be an healthcare system. Novel non-
stem cells is crucial for the natural important link: Diet influences invasive therapies could happen,
adaptability of the digestive metabolic signaling, which leads for example, at the hormonal
system. However, a long-term diet to excessive growth of intestinal level through targeted regulation
high in sugar and fat disrupts this stem cells and ultimately to an of serotonin levels. The research
adaptation and can contribute to increased risk of gastrointestinal group will examine this and
the development of obesity, type cancer,” says Böttcher. other approaches in subsequent
2 diabetes, and gastrointestinal studies.
cancer. With the help of this high-
resolution technique, the Story Source:
The molecular mechanisms researchers have also been able Materials provided by
behind this maladaptation are to study rare cell types in the Helmholtz Zentrum München
part of the research field of intestine, for example, hormone- - German Research Center for
Heiko Lickert and his group secreting cells. Among their Environmental Health. Note:
at Helmholtz Munich and the findings, they were able to show Content may be edited for style
Technical University of Munich. that an unhealthy diet leads to a and length.
The scientists assume that reduction in serotonin-producing
intestinal stem cells play a special cells in the intestine. This can Journal Reference:
role in maladaptation. Using a result in intestinal inertia (typical 1. Alexandra Aliluev, Sophie
mouse model, the researchers of diabetes mellitus) or increased Tritschler, Michael Sterr, Lena
investigated the effects of a appetite. Furthermore, the study Oppenländer, Julia Hinterdobler,
high-sugar and high-fat diet and showed that the absorbing cells Tobias Greisle, Martin Irmler,
compared it with a control group. adapt to the high-fat diet, and Johannes Beckers, Na Sun,
their functionality increases, thus Axel Walch, Kerstin Stemmer,
From high-calorie diet directly promoting weight gain. Alida Kindt, Jan Krumsiek,
to increased risk of Matthias H. Tschöp, Malte D.
gastrointestinal cancer Important basic research for Luecken, Fabian J. Theis, Heiko
non-invasive therapies Lickert, Anika Böttcher. Diet-
“The first thing we noticed was induced alteration of intestinal
that the small intestine increases These and other findings stem cell function underlies
greatly in size on the high-calorie from the study lead to a new obesity and prediabetes in mice.
diet,” says study leader Anika understanding of disease Nature Metabolism, 2021; 3 (9):
Böttcher. “Together with Fabian mechanisms associated with a 1202 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-021-
Theis’ team of computational high-calorie diet. “What we have 00458-9
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