#ScienceChatIMBA: Double agents - How stomach stem cells change allegiance upon injury

A stomach adult stem cell population can fulfill two distinct functions: either help with digestion under normal conditions or take the lead on injury response. Scientists from the Koo lab at IMBA demonstrate that these functions are two sides of a coin. Upon injury, one “molecular switch” is enough to propel the stem cells from one state to the other. The findings, now published in Cell Stem Cell, could be instrumental in improving our understanding of gastric pathologies. In this second edition of #ScienceChatIMBA, we talk to Ji-Hyun Lee, lead author and Postdoctoral Fellow in the Koo lab at IMBA, about these findings.