Defining the role of Lgr5+ stem cells in colorectal cancer: from basic research to clinical applications

Abstract excerpt

The intestinal epithelium is one of the most frequently renewing tissues in the human body, with a turnover period of 3–5 days in the small intestine. This rapid renewal of the intestinal epithelium is driven by the stem cells situated at the crypt bottom, providing an excellent model to study stem cell functions and dynamics. Since the identification of Lgr5 as a surface marker of intestinal stem cells (ISCs) [...