Inter- and intra-epithelial regulation for intestinal barrier integrity

Division Of Basic Sciences - Nci

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The intestinal epithelial barrier serves as the frontline defense against various environmental insults, protecting host tissues from bacterial invasion. My lab is focused on investigating the role of the intestinal epithelium in maintaining or modulating gastrointestinal (GI) tract physiology. Among the epithelial cell subsets, goblet cells play a crucial role in intestinal mucus formation and the colonization of gut commensals. Our work has revealed that Foxo1, derived from intestinal goblet cells, regulates intestinal mucus secretion, influencing gut commensalism and contributing to intestinal barrier integrity (Chen et al., J Exp Med, 2021). Additionally, we have discovered that ST6GALNAC1 (ST6), the dominant sialyltransferase specifically expressed in goblet cells, determines mucus sialylation for intestinal host-commensal homeostasis (Yao et al., Cell, 2022). More recently, our work identified that pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a liver-derived soluble Wnt inhibitor, restrains intestinal stem cell hyperproliferation, thus maintaining gut homeostasis (Kim et al., Cell, 2024). Collectively, our findings elucidate the role of epithelial cells in regulating intestinal barrier function and immune homeostasis.