Gut Generator

Gut problems? Perhaps not for much longer. Scientists have recently been able to grow fully functional human intestine – albeit miniature – in mice. They harvested a small amount of human intestine (pictured) and ground it up and soaked it in an enzyme solution. The mixture was then squirted into a polymer scaffold – a protein structure used to support and help the cells grow – and then implanted into a mouse. Examining the tissue-engineered small intestine (TESI) after four weeks showed it contained many features typical of human intestines, such as specialised cells that release mucus and others that release gastrointestinal hormones. This result is a step towards pioneering this technique for human treatment. In particular, it’s hoped that it could be used to grow intestine for premature babies and newborns who suffer from malnutrition due to insufficient small intestine, also known as short bowel syndrome.

Written by Faiza Peeran

Faiza Peeran

Writer

A Biology graduate from Nottingham, Faiza is now completing a Science Communication MSc at Imperial College. She’s passionate about bringing science to the public, and is particularly interested in health and biomedicine.

• Image by Paul Appleton on Wellcome Images
• University of Dundee
• Originally published under Creative Commons by-4.0;Courtesy of Wellcome library, London
• Research published in the American Journal of Physiology, January 2015