JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Israel and China have discovered a hidden intestinal support system that helps control one of the body's fastest healing processes, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said Monday in a statement.
The study, published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, provides new insight into how the intestine heals itself and could lead to better treatments for intestinal injuries and inflammatory bowel disease, the statement said.
The study focused on Foxl1-lineage cells, which help guide intestinal stem cells and coordinate tissue renewal, it said.
Using advanced genetic analysis and imaging to create a detailed map of these cells, the researchers found they have a unique role in supporting stem cells, immune responses and tissue structure, it said.
The study showed that the intestine has a much more organized repair system than previously known, it added. ■
