澳大利亚纽卡斯尔大学Pradeep S. Tanwar研究团队近日取得一项新成果。他们的研究显示，在致癌性转化后，子宫内膜Axin2⁺细胞驱动上皮内环境稳态、再生和癌化。2019年12月26日出版的《细胞—干细胞》杂志在线发表了这项成果。

研究人员使用体内谱系追踪方法揭示子宫内膜上皮在发育、生长和再生过程中自我更新，并发现经典的Wnt通路报告基因Axin2可作为驻留在子宫内膜腺体内长寿双能上皮祖细胞的标志物。

体内实验表明表达Axin2细胞负责上皮的再生并且在体外调控子宫内膜类器官的发育。Axin2 ⁺细胞的缺失会严重损害子宫内膜稳态并损害其再生。更严重的是，在致癌性转化后，这些细胞可导致子宫内膜癌。这些发现为研究子宫内膜的功能和疾病提供了细胞水平的理论基础。

据介绍，子宫内膜（子宫内层）显著的再生能力对于维持哺乳动物生命至关重要。过去的研究揭示干细胞在子宫内膜功能及疾病中的作用。然而，仍然不清楚这类干细胞的特性和位置。

附：英文原文

Title: Endometrial Axin2+ Cells Drive Epithelial Homeostasis, Regeneration, and Cancer following Oncogenic Transformation

Author: Shafiq M. Syed, Manish Kumar, Arnab Ghosh, Florence Tomasetig, Ayesha Ali, Renee M. Whan, Dariusz Alterman, Pradeep S. Tanwar

Issue&Volume: December 26, 2019

Abstract: The remarkable regenerative capacity of the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) is essential for the sustenance of mammalian life. Over the years, the role of stem cells in endometrial functions and their pathologies has been suggested; however, the identity and location of such stem cells remain unclear. Here, we used in vivo lineage tracing to show that endometrial epithelium self-renews during development, growth, and regeneration and identified Axin2, a classical Wnt reporter gene, as a marker of long-lived bipotent epithelial progenitors that reside in endometrial glands. Axin2-expressing cells are responsible for epithelial regeneration in vivo and for endometrial organoid development in vitro. Ablation of Axin2 + cells severely impairs endometrial homeostasis and compromises its regeneration. More important, upon oncogenic transformation, these cells can lead to endometrial cancer. These findings provide valuable insights into the cellular basis of endometrial functions and diseases.

DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.11.012

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(19)30467-9