Patches of intestinal tissue grown from the cells of mice contract similarly to the muscles in the digestive tract. If the same patches can be grown from human cells, they could one day treat conditions like short bowel syndrome
Health
24 February 2023
By Carissa Wong
Intestinal muscles contract to mix and break down food, and push it along the digestive tract
Shutterstock/SciePro
Making tissue patches from the cells found in a healthy intestine could one day treat certain digestive conditions, according to a study in mice.
The tube-shaped intestines in our bodies contain an inner layer of cells that absorb nutrients from digested food. This is surrounded by a layer of muscle that contracts in multiple ways to mix and break down food while pushing it further along the digestive system.
To investigate the possibility of …
Article amended on 24 February 2023
We have clarified that the mouse intestinal tissue patches won’t be used in people.
No commitment, cancel anytime*
Offer ends 14th March 2023. *Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.
Existing subscribers, please log in with your email address to link your account access.
Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)
MORE FROM NEW SCIENTIST
Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to lower levels of some gut bacteria
People with chronic fatigue syndrome have less of a kind of gut bacteria that produces inflammation-fighting molecules, suggesting a possible target for new treatments
A single gene mutation may have made us smarter than Neanderthals
Modern humans have a gene mutation that boosts the growth of neurons in the brain neocortex, a brain region associated with higher intelligence
Starfish embryos form weird ‘living crystal’ we have never seen before
While studying how starfish embryos swim, researchers observed a previously unseen phenomenon where the embryos clumped together into a honeycomb pattern near the surface of the water
The replication crisis has spread through science – can it be fixed?
It started in psychology, but now findings in many scientific fields are proving impossible to replicate. Here’s what researchers are doing to restore science’s reputation