抄録
Recent studies on human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have brought our attention to continued epithelial injury and impaired epithelial regeneration as their key pathophysiological features. In order to develop a novel approach for the treatment of IBD, it is important to understand the ordered process of epithelial repair and the pivotal roles for the epithelial stem cells in this process. Recently, specific molecular markers for the intestinal stem cells have been identified, and this has led to characterization of the unique properties of this population of cells. In addition, advancement in technologies to isolate and culture intestinal stem cells enhances the prospect for the use of these cells as a diagnostic tool or the source of regenerative medicine. Here I review such recent progress in intestinal epithelial stem cell research and its possible application to IBD.
