摘要: Turnover of the epithelial cell lineages within gastrointestinal tract is a constant process, occurring every 2-7 days under normal homeostasis and increasing after damage. This process regulated by multipotent stem cells, which give rise to all can regenerate whole intestinal crypts gastric glands. The cells are as yet undefined, although it generally agreed that they located 'niche' in Studies allophenic tetraparental chimeric mice targeted mutations suggest single undergoes asymmetrical division produce an identical daughter cell, thus replicate itself, committed progenitor further differentiates into adult type. discovery plasticity many tissues, including ability transplanted bone marrow transdifferentiate subepithelial myofibroblasts, provides potential use deliver therapeutic genes damaged for example, treatment mesenchymal diseases tract, such fibrosis Crohn's disease. beginning identify molecular pathways regulate proliferation differentiation lineages, Wnt Notch/Delta signalling pathways, importance mesenchymal-epithelial interactions epithelium development