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Preventing GVHD by protecting gut stem cells

Date:
January 31, 2011
Source:
Rockefeller University Press
Summary:
A protein that protects stem cells in the gut relieves a potentially lethal complication of bone marrow transplantation in mice, according to a new study.
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A protein that protects stem cells in the gut relieves a potentially lethal complication of bone marrow transplantation in mice, according to a study published online on January 31 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Bone marrow transplantation can cure diseases such as leukemia but it can also lead to a potentially fatal complication known as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

A group led by Takanori Teshima at Kyushu University in Japan found that mice treated with a protein called R-spondin1 developed less severe GVHD after bone marrow transplantation. R-spondin worked by protecting intestinal stem cells, which help to regenerate damaged tissues and thus dampen inflammation.

Whether R-spondin1 is therapeutic for human bone marrow transplant patients remains to be explored.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Rockefeller University Press. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. S. Takashima, M. Kadowaki, K. Aoyama, M. Koyama, T. Oshima, K. Tomizuka, K. Akashi, T. Teshima. The Wnt agonist R-spondin1 regulates systemic graft-versus-host disease by protecting intestinal stem cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2011; 208 (2): 285 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20101559

Cite This Page:

Rockefeller University Press. "Preventing GVHD by protecting gut stem cells." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 January 2011. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131132959.htm>.
Rockefeller University Press. (2011, January 31). Preventing GVHD by protecting gut stem cells. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131132959.htm
Rockefeller University Press. "Preventing GVHD by protecting gut stem cells." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131132959.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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