Clevers group

Wnt signaling and cancer

Originally focused on T lymphocyte transcription factors, we cloned Tcf1 in 1991. With the discovery that Tcf factors are the final effectors of Wnt signaling, we changed our interests to the biology of Wnt signaling in intestinal self-renewal and cancer.  We identified a series of adult tissue stem cells with the novel Lgr5 marker, currently our major focus of research.  For a more detailed overview, click here.

About the research

Key publications (5 most recent)
Sato, T., Vries, R., Snippert, H., van de Wetering, M., Barker, N., Stange, D., van Es, J., Abo, A., Kujala, P., Peters, P., Clevers, H. (2009) Single lgr5 gut stem cells build crypt-villus structures in vitro without a stromal niche 459(7244):262-5
Nature 459 : 262-265.

van der Flier, L.G., van Gijn, M.E., Hatzis, P., Kujala, P., Haegebarth, A., Stange, D.E., Begthel, H., van den Born, M., Guryev, V., Oving, I., van Es, J.H., Barker, N., Peters, P.J., van de Wetering, M., Clevers, H. (2009) Transcription factor Achaete scute-like 2 controls intestinal stem cell fate. Cell 136: 903-912.

Barker, N., Ridgway, R.A., van Es, J.H., van de Wetering, M., Begthel, H., van den Born, M., Danenberg, E., Clarke, A.R., Sansom, O.J., Clevers, H. (2009) Crypt stem cells as the cells-of-origin of intestinal cancer. Nature 457: 608-611.

Barker, N., van Es, J.H., Kuipers, J., Kujala, P., van den Born, M., Cozijnsen, M., Korving, J., Begthel, H., Peters, P.C., Clevers, H. (2007) Identification of stem cells in small intestine and colon by a marker gene LGR5. Nature 449: 1003-1007.

Clevers, H. (2006) Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in development and disease. Cell 127: 469-480.

Publication list