Crypt Base Columnar Stem Cells in Small Intestines of Mice Are Radioresistant

摘要

BACKGROUND & AIMSAdult stem cells have been proposed to be quiescent and radiation resistant, repairing DNA double-strand breaks by nonhomologous end joining. However, the population of putative small intestinal stem cells (ISCs) at position +4 from the crypt base contradicts this model, in that they are highly radiosensitive. Cycling crypt base columnar cells (CBCs) at crypt positions +1–3 recently were defined as an alternative population of ISCs. Little is known about the sensitivity of this stem cell population to radiation.