Cellular pumps protect the gut from toxins

(Duke-NUS Medical School) If you've ever wondered why spicy chilies and strong medicines don't end up wiping out your gut's stem cell population, it's because the intestinal stromal cells that support and maintain them are intrinsically resistant to drugs, toxins and other compounds not naturally produced by the body. These master regulators of gut stem cells have pumps that protect them, and thus the gut, from the toxic effects of a wide range of compounds.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news