Credit: Alaullah Sheikh/Washington University
The lining of a healthy intestine features tightly packed projections called microvilli that absorb nutrients (left), but exposure to a bacterial toxin damages the microvilli (right) and impairs nutrient absorption. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that vaccinating mice against the toxin can prevent intestinal damage, a finding that suggests new ways to prevent malnutrition and stunting in children.