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The gut as a sensory organ

Version 3 2024-05-31, 21:01
Version 2 2024-05-31, 04:54
Version 1 2015-11-03, 14:15
journal contribution
posted on 2024-05-31, 21:01 authored by John Furness, Leni RiveraLeni Rivera, H-J Cho, DM Bravo, B Callaghan
The gastrointestinal tract presents the largest and most vulnerable surface to the outside world. Simultaneously, it must be accessible and permeable to nutrients and must defend against pathogens and potentially injurious chemicals. Integrated responses to these challenges require the gut to sense its environment, which it does through a range of detection systems for specific chemical entities, pathogenic organisms and their products (including toxins), as well as physicochemical properties of its contents. Sensory information is then communicated to four major effector systems: the enteroendocrine hormonal signalling system; the innervation of the gut, both intrinsic and extrinsic; the gut immune system; and the local tissue defence system. Extensive endocrine-neuro-immune-organ-defence interactions are demonstrable, but under-investigated. A major challenge is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the integrated responses of the gut to the sensory information it receives. A major therapeutic opportunity exists to develop agents that target the receptors facing the gut lumen.

History

Journal

Nature reviews: gastroenterology and hepatology

Volume

10

Pagination

729-740

Location

London, Eng.

ISSN

1759-5045

eISSN

1759-5053

Language

eng

Publication classification

C Journal article, C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2013, Macmillan Publishers

Issue

12

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group