Tuft cell acetylcholine is released into the gut lumen to promote anti-helminth immunity.

Upon parasitic helminth infection, activated intestinal tuft cells secrete interleukin-25 (IL-25), which initiates a type 2 immune response during which lamina propria type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) produce IL-13. This causes epithelial remodeling, including tuft cell hyperplasia, the function of which is unknown. We identified a cholinergic effector function of tuft cells, which are the only epithelial cells that expressed choline acetyltransferase (ChAT).

Paracrine signalling between intestinal epithelial and tumour cells induces a regenerative programme.

Tumours are complex ecosystems composed of different types of cells that communicate and influence each other. While the critical role of stromal cells in affecting tumour growth is well established, the impact of mutant cancer cells on healthy surrounding tissues remains poorly defined. Here, using mouse intestinal organoids, we uncover a paracrine mechanism by which intestinal cancer cells reactivate foetal and regenerative YAP-associated transcriptional programmes in neighbouring wildtype epithelial cells, rendering them adapted to thrive in the tumour context.

Circulating Tumor Cell Lines: an Innovative Tool for Fundamental and Translational Research.

Metastasis is a leading cause of cancer death. Despite improvements in treatment strategies, metastatic cancer has a poor prognosis. We thus face an urgent need to understand the mechanisms behind metastasis development, and thus to propose efficient treatments for advanced cancer.