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Oesophagus

A new candidate for the progenitor cell of Barrett metaplasia

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.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the NIH (R01 DK103598, R01 DK063621 and R21 DK111369).

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Correspondence to Rhonda F. Souza.

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R.F.S. has served as a consultant and receives grant support from Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. S.J.S. has served as a consultant for Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

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Souza, R., Spechler, S. A new candidate for the progenitor cell of Barrett metaplasia. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 15, 7–8 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.167

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