Intestinal organoids (IMAGE)

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Intestinal organoids

Caption

Photomicrographs of tissue taken from the intestines of infant mice and grown in culture as intestinal organoids, or enteroids, that are basically "mini-intestines" for research. The enteroids shown are from mouse pups without (left) and with (right) necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening disease in premature babies. The cells are stained to reveal the presence of a protein called AHR (green fluorescence), which is seen in lesser amounts in the NEC-affected tissues. Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have shown in mice that AHR helps protect pups from NEC and that the protein can be obtained during gestation and through breastfeeding when the mothers have an AHR-activating compound included in their diet.

Credit

C. Sodhi, W. Fulton and D. Hackam, Johns Hopkins Medicine

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