Defining the Intestinal Stem Cell Niche for Tissue Engineering and Disease Modeling

The small and large intestines are two of the fastest renewing epithelia in the body. The rapid turnover of intestinal epithelial cells requires continuous generation of new, functional cells fueled by stem cells that must balance between self-renewal and differentiation. The environment where stem cells reside, called the niche, provides key signals to dictate stem cell behavior. Because of its constant activity and well-defined cryptal structure, the intestinal stem cell niche is one of the most studied adult stem cell niches in the body. We will review current knowledge regarding the components that comprise the intestinal stem cell niche, including signaling molecules, nurse cells, extracellular matrix, and metabolites. We will discuss how to leverage current knowledge of the stem cell niche to develop a physiologically relevant intestinal model for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.