A new candidate for the progenitor cell of Barrett metaplasia

摘要

At the squamocolumnar junction of mice and humans, a new study has identified a unique population of transitional basal cells that express molecular markers of both oesophageal stratified squamous epithelium and gastrointestinal columnar epithelium. These transitional basal cells are an attractive candidate for the cell of origin for Barrett oesophagus.