Stem cell model identifies promising therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

A new study published today in Stem Cell Reports demonstrates how a human stem cell-derived model of the intestine can be used to identify potential therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), highlighting glycyrrhizin as a promising candidate for reducing intestinal inflammation and cell death.

‍The burden of IBD is rising globally, with an estimated 4 million people affected worldwide. The disease is characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal wall, leading to symptoms such as persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue. Standard treatments include anti-inflammatory drugs and other immune-targeting therapies, but many patients experience only limited benefit.

‍High-throughput screening (HTS) offers a promising strategy to discover new IBD therapies but depends on having a reliable model of the human intestinal wall for laboratory testing. To address this, a team led by Yu Takahashi at the University of Tokyo, Japan developed a stem cell-derived model of the human intestine and induced an IBD-like state by exposing the cells to a primary inflammatory protein associated with the disease in patients. After confirming that this protein drives cell death and inflammation in their model, the researchers screened approximately 3,500 compounds, using cell death as the primary readout.‍ ‍

Glycyrrhizin – a natural component of black licorice previously shown to be effective in cellular and animal models of IBD – emerged as one of the top hits, significantly preventing intestinal cell death. This effect was also observed in mice with IBD, where glycyrrhizin reduced both intestinal inflammation and cell death.

‍These findings highlight the potential of human stem cell-derived IBD models as powerful platforms for drug discovery. Further clinical studies will be required to determine whether glycyrrhizin can effectively alleviate IBD in patients while avoiding unwanted side effects.