Characterization of radioresistant epithelial stem cell heterogeneity in the damaged mouse intestine

The small intestine has a robust regenerative capacity, and various cell types serve as “cells-of-origin” in the epithelial regeneration process after injury. However, how much each population contributes to regeneration remains unclear. Using lineage tracing, we found that Lgr5-expressing cells’ derivatives contained radioresistant ISCs crucial for epithelial regeneration in the damaged intestine after radiation. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of Lgr5-derivatives identified primary source of epithelial regeneration in the irradiation damaged intetsine.