Health

Intestine cell transplant may one day help ease digestive issues

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

By Carissa Wong

24 February 2023

Intestinal implants could one day treat conditions like short bowel syndrome, defined as having a short intestine that affects nutrient absorption — 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 transplanting cells from healthy intestines, Qianqian Wang…