From gatekeepers to regenerators: the plasticity of Paneth cells.

CDC42 regulates reactive oxygen species to control Paneth cell identity and antimicrobial function in the small intestine.

• Why it matters: Understanding how Paneth cells switch between secretory and regenerative states is crucial for insights into intestinal health and injury repair.
• What they did: Yang et al. (2026) used molecular and cellular approaches to identify CDC42 as a key regulator of ROS balance and Paneth cell plasticity in the small intestine.
• The result: This work suggests that CDC42-mediated ROS regulation is central to Paneth cell dedifferentiation and antimicrobial activity, potentially informing therapies for intestinal injury.