Liu K, Zhang X, Li FZ, Zheng PY, Mi Y. Taurine suppresses gastric intestinal metaplasia in patient-derived organoids and Atp4a-/- mice. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(2): 114161 [PMID: 41695925 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i2.114161]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yang Mi, PhD, Henan Key Laboratory for Helicobacter pylori and Digestive Tract Microecology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfu Qianjie, Erqi District, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China. yangmi198@zzu.edu.cn
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Basic Study
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Feb 15, 2026 (publication date) through Feb 23, 2026
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World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
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1948-5204
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Liu K, Zhang X, Li FZ, Zheng PY, Mi Y. Taurine suppresses gastric intestinal metaplasia in patient-derived organoids and Atp4a-/- mice. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(2): 114161 [PMID: 41695925 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i2.114161]
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Feb 15, 2026; 18(2): 114161 Published online Feb 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i2.114161
Taurine suppresses gastric intestinal metaplasia in patient-derived organoids and Atp4a-/- mice
Ke Liu, Xi Zhang, Fa-Zhan Li, Peng-Yuan Zheng, Yang Mi
Ke Liu, Xi Zhang, Fa-Zhan Li, Peng-Yuan Zheng, Yang Mi, Henan Key Laboratory for Helicobacter pylori and Digestive Tract Microecology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Peng-Yuan Zheng, Yang Mi, Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan Province, China
Peng-Yuan Zheng, Yang Mi, Tianjian Laboratory of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
Co-first authors: Ke Liu and Xi Zhang.
Author contributions: Liu K and Zhang X contributed equally to this study as co-first authors; Liu K and Mi Y conceived and designed the experiments and performed most of the experiments; Liu K, Li FZ, and Zhang X analyzed the data; Liu K, Zheng PY, and Zhang X interpreted all of the results and wrote the manuscript; All of the authors have read and approved the final manuscript and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Supported by Tianjian Advanced Biomedical Laboratory Key Research and Development Project; Henan Province Natural Science Foundation, No. 242300421283.
Institutional review board statement: The human study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Approval No. KY2025038-K02).
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Approval No. KY-Y-2025059) and were performed in compliance with institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: De-identified data generated or analyzed in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Human tissue samples and organoid materials cannot be shared due to privacy protection and ethical restrictions specified in the informed consent form.
Corresponding author: Yang Mi, PhD, Henan Key Laboratory for Helicobacter pylori and Digestive Tract Microecology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 3 Kangfu Qianjie, Erqi District, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China. yangmi198@zzu.edu.cn
Received: September 15, 2025 Revised: November 23, 2025 Accepted: December 16, 2025 Published online: February 15, 2026 Processing time: 143 Days and 21.8 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) represents a critical precancerous condition in the progression from chronic gastritis to gastric cancer, with limited therapeutic options. Emerging evidence suggests that taurine, a cytoprotective amino acid, may modulate gastric epithelial dysfunction. However, its application and efficiency in the context of GIM remain poorly understood.
AIM
To investigate the therapeutic effects of taurine on GIM using patient-derived organoids and Atp4a-/- mouse models.
METHODS
Patient-derived GIM organoids (n = 3) and Atp4a-/- mice, which spontaneously develop GIM, were used as experimental models. Morphological changes were assessed via Alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff staining. The expression levels of the gastric epithelial marker mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) and GIM-associated markers (caudal type homeobox 2 [CDX2], MUC2, Trefoil factor family 3 [TFF3]) were quantified via quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
We confirmed that taurine treatment significantly attenuated pathological changes, including glandular hypertrophy and vacuolar dilation, in Atp4a-/- mice. It also reduced GIM severity compared with that in the untreated model group. Under taurine treatment, MUC5AC expression was significantly increased, whereas the intestinal-specific markers CDX2, MUC2, and TFF3 were reduced (P < 0.05). In parallel, in patient-derived GIM organoids, taurine treatment significantly ameliorated GIM features, as evidenced by increased MUC5AC expression and decreased CDX2, MUC2, and TFF3 expression.
CONCLUSION
This study highlights the potential application of taurine as a therapeutic agent for treating GIM, offering a promising strategy for its clinical management.
Core Tip: Limited treatments for gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) are available. This study used Atp4a-/- mice (spontaneous GIM models) and patient-derived GIM organoids to show that taurine ameliorates GIM. It reduces murine gastric mucosal lesions, upregulates the gastric marker mucin 5AC (MUC5AC), and downregulates intestinal markers (caudal type homeobox 2, MUC2, and Trefoil factor family 3) in both models, suggesting a novel GIM therapeutic strategy.
