Discussion
IECs play a central role in absorptive and secretory functions,
providing an effective barrier against the complex antigenic load of
intestinal contents. However, the continuous and rapid renewal of
IECs lies in a process involving cell generation and migration from
the stem cell population located at the bottom of the crypts to the
extrusion of the terminally differentiated cells at the tips of the
villus [15]. Obviously, the isolated crypt cells with a high
proliferation rate can be the origin of IECs in vitro.