Crosstalk with infant-derived Th17 cells, as well as exposure to IL-22 promotes maturation of intestinal epithelial cells in an enteroid model
Taken together, our data suggests that early-life intestinal development is likely influenced by IL-22-dependent crosstalk between the infant epithelium and exposure to neighboring Th17 cells. This promotes epithelial cell maturation and immune readiness, reflected at both the morphological and molecular levels. Our work also provides a relevant framework for studying healthy infant gut development, which can be further leveraged to examine early-life gastrointestinal disorders, model complex human disease, and therapeutic testing while reducing reliance on animal models.
Authors
- J. Cheung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3976-5073)
- Joannie M. Allaire (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2665-5617)
- Bruce A. Vallance (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1345-6747)
- Kevan Jacobson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7269-8557)
- Paula Littlejohn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3252-7862)
- Christina Michalski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9093-5325)
- Pascal M. Lavoie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2205-0362)
- James A. Sousa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8389-0273)
- Mariana Hill
- Hannah G. Piper (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8379-2271)
- Zohreh Sharafian
Institutions
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics (RU)
- BC Children's Hospital (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Immunology
- Published
- 2025-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1582688
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Digestive system and related health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.45
Funders
- Children's Hospital Foundation
- BC Children's Hospital
- Crohn's and Colitis Canada
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research