The Crucial Role of the Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Neurointestinal Diseases
Egan L. Choi,
Negar Taheri,
Elijah Tan,
Kenjiro Matsumoto,
Yujiro Hayashi
Affiliations
Egan L. Choi
Enteric Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Guggenheim 10, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Negar Taheri
Enteric Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Guggenheim 10, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Elijah Tan
Enteric Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Guggenheim 10, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Kenjiro Matsumoto
Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts, Kyoto 610-0395, Japan
Yujiro Hayashi
Enteric Neuroscience Program and Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Guggenheim 10, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
Neurointestinal diseases result from dysregulated interactions between the nervous system and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, leading to conditions such as Hirschsprung’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. These disorders affect many people, significantly diminishing their quality of life and overall health. Central to GI motility are the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which play a key role in muscle contractions and neuromuscular transmission. This review highlights the role of ICC in neurointestinal diseases, revealing their association with various GI ailments. Understanding the functions of the ICC could lead to innovative perspectives on the modulation of GI motility and introduce new therapeutic paradigms. These insights have the potential to enhance efforts to combat neurointestinal diseases and may lead to interventions that could alleviate or even reverse these conditions.
