Fasting May Regenerate Stem Cells in Humans

Intestinal stem cells begin to lose their ability to regenerate according to age. These stem cells are the source for all new intestinal cells, so this decline can make it more difficult to recover from gastrointestinal infections or other conditions that affect the intestine. According to a new study, this age-related loss of stem cell function can be reversed by a 24-hour fast. The researchers found that fasting dramatically improves stem cells’ ability to regenerate, in both Young and aged mice. In fasting mice, cells begin breaking down fatty acids instead of glucose; this change stimulates the stem cells to become more regenerative. Such an intervention could potentially help older people recovering from GI infections or the cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Intestinal stem cells are responsible for maintaining the lining of the intestine, which typically renews itself in every five days. When an injury or any infection occurs, stem cells are key to repairing any damage. Intestinal stem cells are the workhorses of the intestine that give rise to more stem cells and to all of the various differentiated cell types of the intestine. Notably, during aging, intestinal stem function decline, which impairs the ability of the intestine to repair itself after damage. In this research scientists focused on understanding how a 24-hour fast enhances the function of young and old intestinal stem cells.

The researchers found that during fasting, the transcription factors that are responsible for turning DNA to RNA was activated that promoted the breakdown of the fatty acids instead of carbohydrates. These transcription factors called PPARS, would promote regeneration when turned on and could potentially be used as a solution towards regeneration outside of fasting. 

This finding is important because it opens up a new avenue of treatment options for the patients dealing with intestinal cell regeneration. Creating drugs that can activate PPARS outside or along with fasting would help to reverse the effects of age-related intestinal decline. Beyond aging, this discovery could help the patients whose intestinal cells have been damaged due to things like infections, diseases, and chemotherapy. This discovery also encourages the researchers to look to other parts of the body that could share similar regenerative functions.