Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Personalized Therapeutic Approach for Crohn’s and Other Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Giovanni Cirillo,
Flor Negrete-Diaz,
Daniela Yucuma,
Assunta Virtuoso,
Sohaib Ali Korai,
Ciro De Luca,
Eugenijus Kaniusas,
Michele Papa,
Fivos Panetsos
Affiliations
Giovanni Cirillo
Division of Human Anatomy, Neuronal Morphology Networks & Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
Flor Negrete-Diaz
Neurocomputing & Neurorobotics Research Group, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Daniela Yucuma
Neurocomputing & Neurorobotics Research Group, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Assunta Virtuoso
Division of Human Anatomy, Neuronal Morphology Networks & Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
Sohaib Ali Korai
Division of Human Anatomy, Neuronal Morphology Networks & Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
Ciro De Luca
Division of Human Anatomy, Neuronal Morphology Networks & Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
Eugenijus Kaniusas
Institute of Biomedical Electronics, TU Wien, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Michele Papa
Division of Human Anatomy, Neuronal Morphology Networks & Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
Fivos Panetsos
Neurocomputing & Neurorobotics Research Group, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are incurable autoimmune diseases characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. There is increasing evidence that inappropriate interaction between the enteric nervous system and central nervous system and/or low activity of the vagus nerve, which connects the enteric and central nervous systems, could play a crucial role in their pathogenesis. Therefore, it has been suggested that appropriate neuroprosthetic stimulation of the vagus nerve could lead to the modulation of the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and consequent long-term control of these autoimmune diseases. In the present paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of (1) the cellular and molecular bases of the immune system, (2) the way central and enteric nervous systems interact and contribute to the immune responses, (3) the pathogenesis of the inflammatory bowel disease, and (4) the therapeutic use of vagus nerve stimulation, and in particular, the transcutaneous stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. Then, we expose the working hypotheses for the modulation of the molecular processes that are responsible for intestinal inflammation in autoimmune diseases and the way we could develop personalized neuroprosthetic therapeutic devices and procedures in favor of the patients.
