Finally, thank you to the editor and referees for the constructive feedback.

Whereas gut epithelial remodeling in pregnancy/lactation is reversible, constitutive activation of RANK drives intestinal expansion and prevents the formation of Apcmin-driven small intestinal stem cell tumors.

Babies born to females that lack Rank in the intestinal epithelium show reduced weight and develop glucose intolerance upon metabolic stress.

We found that RANK-RANKL signaling promotes the survival of the gut epithelia and controls the stem cell niche by increasing BMP receptor signaling, resulting in the elongation of villi.

Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β (RANK) and its ligand RANKL were identified as a molecular pathway involved in this villous expansion of the small intestine in vivo in mice and intestinal murine and human organoids.

We report that the intestinal epithelium expands during pregnancy and lactation in mice. This enlargement of the intestinal surface area is reorganized into sheet-like geometries.

Excited to share my latest paper, published today at @natureportfolio.bsky.social ! A big thank you to all our collaborators.

The paper shows how RANK drives intestinal epithelial expansion during reproduction.

#intestine #stemcells #pregnancy

www.nature.com/articles/s41...