The intestinal epithelium harbors a remarkable adaptability to undergo injury-induced repair. A key part of the regenerative response is the transient reprogramming of epithelial cells into a fetal-like state, which drives uniform proliferation, tissue remodeling, and subsequent restoration of the homeostatic state. In this review, we discuss how Wnt and YAP signaling pathways control the intestinal repair response and the transitioning of cell states, in comparison with the process of intestinal development. Furthermore, we highlight how organoid-based applications have contributed to the characterization of the mechanistic principles and key players that guide these developmental and regenerative events.

Advances in genome sequencing have revealed a type of extrachromosomal DNA, historically named double minutes (also referred to as ecDNA), to be common in a wide range of cancer types, but not in healthy tissues. These cancer-associated circular DNA molecules contain one or a few genes that are amplified when double minutes accumulate. Double minutes harbor oncogenes or drug resistance genes that contribute to tumor aggressiveness through copy number amplification in combination with favorable epigenetic properties. Unequal distribution of double minutes over daughter cells contributes to intratumoral heterogeneity, thereby increasing tumor adaptability. In this review, we discuss various models delineating the mechanism of generation of double minutes. Furthermore, we highlight how double minutes are maintained, how they evolve, and discuss possible mechanisms driving their elimination.