The intestinal epithelium is one of the most rapidly renewing tissues, which is fueled by stem cells at the base of the crypts. Strategies of genetic lineage tracing and organoids, which capture major features of original tissues, are powerful avenues for exploring the biology of intestinal stem cells in vivo and in vitro, respectively. The combination of intestinal organoid–culturing system and genetic modification approaches provides an attractive platform to uncover the mechanism of colorectal cancer and genetic disorders in the human minigut. Here, we will provide a comprehensive overview of studies on intestinal epithelium and intestinal stem cells. We will also review the applications of organoids and genetic markers in intestinal research studies. Furthermore, we will discuss the advantages and drawbacks of organoids as disease models compared with mice models and cell lines.

肠上皮是更新最快的组织之一，其由隐窝底部的干细胞提供燃料。捕获原始组织主要特征的遗传谱系追踪和类器官策略是探索体内和体外肠道干细胞生物学的强大途径， 分别。肠道类器官培养系统和基因修饰方法的结合为揭示人小肠中结直肠癌和遗传疾病的机制提供了一个有吸引力的平台。在这里，我们将提供有关肠上皮和肠干细胞研究的全面概述。我们还将回顾类器官和遗传标记在肠道研究中的应用。此外，与小鼠模型和细胞系相比，我们将讨论类器官作为疾病模型的优缺点。