The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is constantly exposed to acute and chronic forms of injury that test the ability of epithelium to restore homeostasis and maintain its absorptive, secretory, and barrier functions. Within the epithelial units of each GI organ, dedicated stem cells, capable of self-renewing and giving rise to all of the lineages within the unit, can repopulate injured or lost cells to maintain cell census and preserve epithelial integrity. It has become increasingly clear that the regenerative capacity of injured epithelial units is not entirely dependent on stem cells and that other epithelial lineages can take on stem-like properties, based on the type, acuity, and severity of injury, affording the GI tract its remarkable adaptability.
The goals of this Research Topic are to: 1) examine cellular plasticity within GI epithelium, in particular as it relates to epithelial injury and to epithelial development ; 2) explore the dynamics of epithelial regeneration and plasticity in diverse GI tissues; 3) describe our current understanding of the conserved and/or tissue-specific cellular programming/reprogramming events that characterize and define these processes; 4) explore how the dysregulation of these cellular events contribute to GI pathologic states and to tumorigenesis; 5) identify how our understanding of cellular plasticity can inform future regenerative therapies.
We welcome Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews and Mini-reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following questions:
• How does epithelial plasticity vary among GI tissues, and what might this tell us about their regenerative potential?
• Do conserved mechanisms underlie an inherent epithelial plasticity?
• How does cellular plasticity relate to disease states in the GI tract?
• How are mechanisms of plasticity dysregulated during tumorigenesis?
• How is cellular plasticity similar/different during epithelial injury compared to epithelial development?
• How does the type, acuity, and severity of injury affect the dynamics of epithelial plasticity?
• What are the limitations to our current understanding of cellular plasticity, and what new models/technologies have been developed to address these?
• How has cellular plasticity been applied to regenerative medicine?
Descriptive studies (e.g. gene expression profiles, or transcript, protein, or metabolite levels under particular conditions or in a particular cell type) and studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic / transcriptomic data do not fall within the scope of the journal unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied.
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is constantly exposed to acute and chronic forms of injury that test the ability of epithelium to restore homeostasis and maintain its absorptive, secretory, and barrier functions. Within the epithelial units of each GI organ, dedicated stem cells, capable of self-renewing and giving rise to all of the lineages within the unit, can repopulate injured or lost cells to maintain cell census and preserve epithelial integrity. It has become increasingly clear that the regenerative capacity of injured epithelial units is not entirely dependent on stem cells and that other epithelial lineages can take on stem-like properties, based on the type, acuity, and severity of injury, affording the GI tract its remarkable adaptability.
The goals of this Research Topic are to: 1) examine cellular plasticity within GI epithelium, in particular as it relates to epithelial injury and to epithelial development ; 2) explore the dynamics of epithelial regeneration and plasticity in diverse GI tissues; 3) describe our current understanding of the conserved and/or tissue-specific cellular programming/reprogramming events that characterize and define these processes; 4) explore how the dysregulation of these cellular events contribute to GI pathologic states and to tumorigenesis; 5) identify how our understanding of cellular plasticity can inform future regenerative therapies.
We welcome Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews and Mini-reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following questions:
• How does epithelial plasticity vary among GI tissues, and what might this tell us about their regenerative potential?
• Do conserved mechanisms underlie an inherent epithelial plasticity?
• How does cellular plasticity relate to disease states in the GI tract?
• How are mechanisms of plasticity dysregulated during tumorigenesis?
• How is cellular plasticity similar/different during epithelial injury compared to epithelial development?
• How does the type, acuity, and severity of injury affect the dynamics of epithelial plasticity?
• What are the limitations to our current understanding of cellular plasticity, and what new models/technologies have been developed to address these?
• How has cellular plasticity been applied to regenerative medicine?
Descriptive studies (e.g. gene expression profiles, or transcript, protein, or metabolite levels under particular conditions or in a particular cell type) and studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic / transcriptomic data do not fall within the scope of the journal unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied.
