Stem cells have essential functions in the development and maintenance of our organs. Improper regulation of adult stem cells and tissue homeostasis can result in cancers and age-dependent decline. Therefore, understanding how tissue-specific stem cells can accurately renew tissues is an important aim of regenerative medicine. The Drosophila midgut harbors multipotent adult stem cells that are essential to renew the gut in homeostatic conditions and upon stress-induced regeneration. It is now a widely used model system to decipher regulatory mechanisms of stem cell biology. Here, we review recent findings on how adult intestinal stem cells differentiate, interact with their environment, and change during aging.

干细胞在我们器官的发育和维护中具有重要作用。成体干细胞和组织稳态调节不当会导致癌症和年龄依赖性衰退。因此，了解组织特异性干细胞如何准确地更新组织是再生医学的一个重要目标。果蝇中肠含有多能成体干细胞，这些干细胞对于在稳态条件下和应激诱导的再生中更新肠道至关重要。它现在是一个广泛使用的模型系统来破译干细胞生物学的调控机制。在这里，我们回顾了关于成人肠道干细胞如何分化、与环境相互作用以及在衰老过程中如何变化的最新发现。