Mini-intestines reveal how Shigella infects the human gut

SciLifeLab researcher and Fellow alumni Mikael Sellin and his colleagues at Uppsala University have used lab-grown miniature intestines to map how the aggressive bacterium Shigella infects the human gut. The study, published in Nature Genetics, shows that cultured mini-organs can help uncover how human-specific pathogens cause disease.

“In this study, we used mini organs, specifically mini-intestines, and infected them with a dangerous bacterium called Shigella. For the first time, we were able to map the genes Shigella needs to cause infection in this human model, which is highly physiologically relevant,” says Maria Letizia Di Martino, researcher in the group.

The Shigella bacterium causes severe intestinal inflammation in humans and is responsible for over 200,000 deaths per year, particularly among young children.

Using organoids grown from human stem cells, the team knocked out bacterial genes to pinpoint those essential for infection. The findings also shed light on how similar pathogens may attack other tissues, such as the lungs and urinary tract.

“This gives us unprecedented possibilities to do experimental work that is relevant to disease development within an intact human being,” says Mikael Sellin.

Read more at uu.se

DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02218-x

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