Fetal Reversion Aids Gut Regeneration, Stem Cell Health
Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo have discovered a mechanism by which intestinal tissues regenerate efficiently without depleting their stem cell reserve. This process, called fetal reversion, involves the dynamic switching between conventional intestinal stem cells and stress-tolerant revival stem cells, enabling efficient tissue repair.
Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo have made a breakthrough in understanding intestinal regeneration. They found that conventional stem cells can temporarily switch into a specialized regenerative state, called revival stem cells, in response to tissue damage. This process, fetal reversion, allows the stem cells to survive and regenerate in damaged tissue environments. The team used intestinal organoids and mouse models to demonstrate the bidirectional conversion between revival stem cells and conventional stem cells. The study explains the link between two mechanisms of plasticity, fetal reversion and spatial plasticity, which drive intestinal regeneration. The findings were published in the journal Communications Biology on January 13, 2026.
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