Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, hurts the digestive system of millions of people. Current medicines often do not give long‑lasting relief. A research team has built a new lab model of the human intestine using stem cells. This model helps scientists look for better treatments. Their study, published in *Stem Cell Reports*, highlights glycyrrhizin – a natural ingredient from black licorice – as a strong candidate to calm gut inflammation and stop cell death.
IBD is a long‑term illness that keeps the gut inflamed. People with IBD often have constant diarrhea, belly pain, and feel very tired. About four million people worldwide live with this condition, and the numbers keep growing.
Doctors use anti‑inflammatory drugs and medicines that target the immune system, but many patients still feel symptoms or do not respond well.
Stem Cell Model Copies Real Human Gut
Finding a lab model that truly mimics the human gut is hard. High‑throughput screening (HTS) lets researchers test thousands of chemicals quickly, but it needs a reliable system that behaves like a real intestine.
To solve this, Yu Takahashi’s team at the University of Tokyo grew tiny pieces of human intestine from stem cells. They then added a key inflammatory protein that is common in IBD patients. The protein caused the lab‑grown gut tissue to become inflamed and to lose cells, just like the disease does in people.
With the disease model ready, the scientists screened about 3,500 different compounds to see which ones could protect the gut cells.
Licorice Compound Stands Out
One of the best‑performing chemicals was glycyrrhizin, the sweet component of black licorice. Earlier research already hinted that this molecule might help in cell and animal models of IBD. The new study confirmed its promise.
In the stem‑cell gut model, glycyrrhizin dramatically lowered cell death. The same effect appeared in mice with IBD – the drug cut down inflammation and reduced damage to the intestine.
What This Means for Future Treatments
The researchers believe that stem‑cell‑derived gut models can become powerful tools for finding new IBD medicines. While the early results are encouraging, more clinical trials are needed to prove that glycyrrhizin is safe and effective for people with IBD.