Genes & Cells

Stem cells with a dual identity, plus more in this week’s news

Rejection denied
A life-threatening complication of bone marrow transplants may be stopped by reducing damage to stem cells that regenerate the lining of the intestines. Graft-versus-host disease results when immune cells from transplanted bone marrow begin attacking the recipient’s body. The disease stems partly from pretransplant radiation damage to intestinal stem cells, researchers from Kyushu University in Japan report January 31 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.