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Review
. 2020 Sep 1;319(3):G391-G399.
doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00384.2019. Epub 2020 Aug 5.

Enlightening the frontiers of neurogastroenterology through optogenetics

Anthony C Johnson  1   2   3 , Tijs Louwies  1 , Casey O Ligon  1 , Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld  1   2   4
Affiliations
Review

Enlightening the frontiers of neurogastroenterology through optogenetics

Anthony C Johnson et al. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. .

Abstract

Neurogastroenterology refers to the study of the extrinsic and intrinsic nervous system circuits controlling the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Over the past 5-10 yr there has been an explosion in novel methodologies, technologies and approaches that offer great promise to advance our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying GI function in health and disease. This review focuses on the use of optogenetics combined with electrophysiology in the field of neurogastroenterology. We discuss how these technologies and tools are currently being used to explore the brain-gut axis and debate the future research potential and limitations of these techniques. Taken together, we consider that the use of these technologies will enable researchers to answer important questions in neurogastroenterology through fundamental research. The answers to those questions will shorten the path from basic discovery to new treatments for patient populations with disorders of the brain-gut axis affecting the GI tract such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, achalasia, and delayed gastric emptying.

Keywords: brain; electrophysiology; motility; optogenetics; pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

B. Greenwood-Van Meerveld has grant funding from Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Teva and Blue Therapeutics. This document does not represent the views of the US Department of Veteran Affairs or the US government. The remaining authors have no competing interests.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Optogenetics and electrophysiology in neurogastroenterology. Within the next decade optogenetic and electrophysiological tools will greatly advance the field of neurogastroenterology. Specific targeting within the enteric nervous system (ENS) and the central nervous system (CNS; brain and spinal cord), along with light delivery strategies that are being developed, will allow the use of optogenetics to directly change gastrointestinal (GI) motility and sensitivity to actively reverse pathological process. Complementing the optogenetic tools, additional electrophysiological approaches are being developed to monitor abnormal motility and sensitivity within the GI tract and/or integrated signaling within the CNS. Real-time measurement of the electrical processes will permit closed-loop systems with optogenetic approaches to modify GI functions and other electrophysiological tools will be used to identify key neurotransmitters and ion channels underlying GI pathophysiology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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