A huge thanks to our incredible collaborators, the team at
Martinez Lab @ibecbarcelona.eu and the outstanding work of Enara Larrañaga!

@ibecbarcelona.eu @naturecomms.bsky.social

6/ Our findings provide insights into how spatial signals govern epithelial organization and offers a platform for studying tissue dynamics both in physiological and pathological conditions.
#CellBiology #TissueEngineering #Wnt3a #ColorectalCancer

5/ To complement the experiments, we built an agent-based model integrating Wnt3a/BMP feedback and Eph/ephrin repulsion.
Our simulations captured crypt size, shape, and spatial distribution seen in experiments.

4/ Then, by adjusting the spacing between Wnt3a patterns, we induced long-range crypt organization that aligned with the pattern spacing.

3/ By micropatterning Wnt3a, we achieved precise control over crypt size, shape, and position.

2/ We developed a system combining micropatterned Wnt3a on soft basement membranes with primary intestinal monolayers. This setup mimics the crypt-villus structure while offering precise control over Wnt3a distribution, enabling us to explore how Wnt3a drives tissue organization.

1/ The intestinal epithelium organizes into crypts (proliferative zones) and villi (differentiated zones). This compartmentalization is crucial for function but depends on complex spatial signaling.

How can we experimentally manipulate these signals to study tissue organization?