Reaching for more: How reproduction transforms the maternal intestine

Maria H Festing; Kubra B Akkaya-Colak; Maria M Mihaylova

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2025.04.024

Reaching for more: How reproduction transforms the maternal intestine

Cell. 2025 May 15;188(10):2567-2568. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.04.024.

Authors

Maria H Festing¹, Kubra B Akkaya-Colak¹, Maria M Mihaylova²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Chemistry & Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
² Department of Biological Chemistry & Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Electronic address: Maria.Mihaylova@osumc.edu.

PMID: 40378833
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.04.024

Abstract

Several organs undergo changes during pregnancy to accommodate fetal growth, including the small intestine. However, the signals that trigger this intestinal remodeling are not well understood. In a recent study, Ameku et al. describe an anticipatory intestinal growth program that is partially irreversible and supported by SGLT3a-dependent increase of Fgfbp1-positive progenitor cells.

MeSH terms

Animals
Female
Humans
Intestine, Small* / metabolism
Intestines* / embryology
Mice
Pregnancy
Reproduction*
Stem Cells / cytology
Stem Cells / metabolism