Patterning and folding of intestinal villi by active mesenchymal dewetting. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38781967/)

These scientists wanted to understand how the folds in our intestines, called villi, are formed. They discovered that a type of cells in the intestine can create forces that help the tissue to bend and form these villi. These cells use a protein called myosin II to generate these forces. Additionally, they found that another protein called matrix metalloproteinase helps to make the tissue more flexible so that it can bend easily.

To study this, the scientists used computer models and conducted experiments in the lab and in living organisms. They found that the forces created by these cells cause the tissue to change shape and form the villi, which are important for absorbing nutrients from food. This process is similar to how a thin liquid film can break apart into droplets.

In simple terms, the scientists discovered how certain cells in our intestines work together to create the folds that help us absorb nutrients from our food.

Huycke TR., Hakkinen TJ., Miyazaki H., Srivastava V., Barruet E., McGinnis CS., Kalantari A., Cornwall-Scoones J., Vaka D., Zhu Q., Jo H., Oria R., Weaver VM., DeGrado WF., Thomson M., Garikipati K., Boffelli D., Klein OD., Gartner ZJ. Patterning and folding of intestinal villi by active mesenchymal dewetting. Cell. 2024 May 20:S0092-8674(24)00465-3. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.039.