Hans Clevers
@hansclevers.bsky.social
-Scientist interested in Wnt signaling, stem cells and organoids
-Director of pRED/Roche's Institute of Human Biology Basel CH.
-Professor and group leader in Utrecht at the Hubrecht Institute and the Princess Maxima Center
-Director of pRED/Roche's Institute of Human Biology Basel CH.
-Professor and group leader in Utrecht at the Hubrecht Institute and the Princess Maxima Center
11/11Gut homeostasis is not passive crowd control. It’s an active, force-regulated process. Cells constantly test each other’s strength; those that fail the tug-of-war extrude.A collaboration between the @hubrechtinstitute.bsky.social , @amolf-nl.bsky.social & @IHB lead by @danielkrueger.bsky.social
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
11/11Gut homeostasis is not passive crowd control. It’s an active, force-regulated process. Cells constantly test each other’s strength; those that fail the tug-of-war extrude.A collaboration between the @hubrechtinstitute.bsky.social , @amolf-nl.bsky.social & @IHB lead by @danielkrueger.bsky.social
9/11 With point ablations at the base, we intentionally weakened individual cells. Within minutes, these cells extruded - loss of tension likely triggers extrusion.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
9/11 With point ablations at the base, we intentionally weakened individual cells. Within minutes, these cells extruded - loss of tension likely triggers extrusion.
8/11 Local optogenetic activation of cells on villus substrates, creating boundaries between highly- and less-contractile cells caused preferential extrusion on the weaker side. In mosaic organoids, less contractile cells were consistently eliminated.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
8/11 Local optogenetic activation of cells on villus substrates, creating boundaries between highly- and less-contractile cells caused preferential extrusion on the weaker side. In mosaic organoids, less contractile cells were consistently eliminated.
7/11 Optogenetics let us induce contractility with blue light and spatial precision. Extrusion rates jumped up upon activation, showing that globally increased tension directly drives extrusion.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
7/11 Optogenetics let us induce contractility with blue light and spatial precision. Extrusion rates jumped up upon activation, showing that globally increased tension directly drives extrusion.
6/11 A basal actomyosin network drives epithelial tension. On hydrogel villus substrates (generated @ IHB, Basel), resembling the in vivo topology, we saw pulsatile contractions—one cell contracts, neighbors expand. A tissue-wide tug-of-war.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
6/11 A basal actomyosin network drives epithelial tension. On hydrogel villus substrates (generated @ IHB, Basel), resembling the in vivo topology, we saw pulsatile contractions—one cell contracts, neighbors expand. A tissue-wide tug-of-war.
5/11 Using CRISPR-generated myosin reporters, we first observed myosin increasing in extruding cells, together with a synchronized response in their neighbors—explaining extrusion dynamics as a coordinated process.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
5/11 Using CRISPR-generated myosin reporters, we first observed myosin increasing in extruding cells, together with a synchronized response in their neighbors—explaining extrusion dynamics as a coordinated process.
4/11 Are villus tips—where extrusion peaks—compressed by crowding? At the Hubrecht, laser ablation revealed they are under tension, not compression. That tension sets the stage for extrusion.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
4/11 Are villus tips—where extrusion peaks—compressed by crowding? At the Hubrecht, laser ablation revealed they are under tension, not compression. That tension sets the stage for extrusion.
3/11 Using long-term live imaging & tracking (with @amolf-nl.bsky.social), we followed hundreds of extrusion events. Most villus cells extruded alive, not apoptotic. Extrusion did not correlate with density.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
3/11 Using long-term live imaging & tracking (with @amolf-nl.bsky.social), we followed hundreds of extrusion events. Most villus cells extruded alive, not apoptotic. Extrusion did not correlate with density.
2/11 The intestinal lining renews every few days. Old cells are shed by extrusion—a process essential for barrier integrity and linked to diseases like IBD. But what actually triggers extrusion in mammals was unclear.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
2/11 The intestinal lining renews every few days. Old cells are shed by extrusion—a process essential for barrier integrity and linked to diseases like IBD. But what actually triggers extrusion in mammals was unclear.
Exciting #organoids meeting in Glasgow, just after the summer!
June 7, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Exciting #organoids meeting in Glasgow, just after the summer!
Snake venom gland organoids. Study by Yorick Post and collaborators. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Image credit: Anne Rios
Image credit: Anne Rios
December 29, 2024 at 5:12 PM
Snake venom gland organoids. Study by Yorick Post and collaborators. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Image credit: Anne Rios
Image credit: Anne Rios
a human liver organoid
December 29, 2024 at 5:06 PM
a human liver organoid
#Lgr5+ gut #stemcells don't divide asymmetrically. They simple divide and then compete for space: This is called neutral competition. Stem cell numbers are set by the available space between the #Panethcells. Paper: Hugo Snippert et al. Cell (2010). www.cell.com/action/showP...
December 22, 2024 at 10:31 AM
#Lgr5+ gut #stemcells don't divide asymmetrically. They simple divide and then compete for space: This is called neutral competition. Stem cell numbers are set by the available space between the #Panethcells. Paper: Hugo Snippert et al. Cell (2010). www.cell.com/action/showP...
📢Roche's Institute of Human Biology seeks 2 visionary scientific leaders: Head of Computational Biology & Head of Exploratory Biology. Drive pioneering research, shape scientific strategy and lead innovation at the crossroad of academia and industry!🔗https://go.roche.com/ls0un #organoids #TeamIHB
December 20, 2024 at 3:04 PM
📢Roche's Institute of Human Biology seeks 2 visionary scientific leaders: Head of Computational Biology & Head of Exploratory Biology. Drive pioneering research, shape scientific strategy and lead innovation at the crossroad of academia and industry!🔗https://go.roche.com/ls0un #organoids #TeamIHB
3D Reconstruction of human fetal pancreatic organoid with an endogenous (knock-in) reporter for the endocrine cell marker Chromogranin-A (green), while stained for the acinar cell marker CarboxyPeptidase A1/2 (magenta) and nuclei, DAPI (blue)
December 3, 2024 at 10:52 AM
3D Reconstruction of human fetal pancreatic organoid with an endogenous (knock-in) reporter for the endocrine cell marker Chromogranin-A (green), while stained for the acinar cell marker CarboxyPeptidase A1/2 (magenta) and nuclei, DAPI (blue)
Clonal organoids grown from a single LGR5+ cell recapitulate this tri-potency in vitro. Our study describes a human fetal tri-potent stem cell, capable of long-term expansion in vitro and of generating all three pancreatic cell lineages 5/
December 3, 2024 at 10:52 AM
Clonal organoids grown from a single LGR5+ cell recapitulate this tri-potency in vitro. Our study describes a human fetal tri-potent stem cell, capable of long-term expansion in vitro and of generating all three pancreatic cell lineages 5/
Mouse studies indicate that these three compartments derive from a transient, common pancreatic progenitor. Amanda et al derive 18 human fetal pancreas organoid (hfPO) lines from gestational week 8-17 samples. Four lines generate acinar-, ductal- and endocrine lineage cells 3/
December 3, 2024 at 10:52 AM
Mouse studies indicate that these three compartments derive from a transient, common pancreatic progenitor. Amanda et al derive 18 human fetal pancreas organoid (hfPO) lines from gestational week 8-17 samples. Four lines generate acinar-, ductal- and endocrine lineage cells 3/
trying out to post an animation: #organoids in #Matrigel dome
December 1, 2024 at 4:00 PM
trying out to post an animation: #organoids in #Matrigel dome
Excited to join BlueSky! Will share insights in #intestine #stemcells #cancer #organoids #drugdevelopment and others. Blue image credentials: Luminal surface of the small intestine, Anne Rios. Goblet cells red, enterocytes blue
December 1, 2024 at 2:18 PM
Excited to join BlueSky! Will share insights in #intestine #stemcells #cancer #organoids #drugdevelopment and others. Blue image credentials: Luminal surface of the small intestine, Anne Rios. Goblet cells red, enterocytes blue