title: Enteric glia: A new player in inflammatory bowel diseases.
abstract: In addition to the well-known involvement of macrophages and neutrophils, other cell types have been recently reported to substantially contribute to the onset and progression of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Enteric glial cells (EGC) are the equivalent cell type of astrocyte in the central nervous system (CNS) and share with them many neurotrophic and neuro-immunomodulatory properties. This short review highlights the role of EGC in IBD, describing the role played by these cells in the maintenance of gut homeostasis, and their modulation of enteric neuronal activities. In pathological conditions, EGC have been reported to trigger and support bowel inflammation through the specific over-secretion of S100B protein, a pivotal neurotrophic factor able to induce chronic inflammatory changes in gut mucosa. New pharmacological tools that may improve the current therapeutic strategies for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), lowering side effects (i.e. corticosteroids) and costs (i.e. anti-TNFα monoclonal antibodies) represent a very important challenge for gastroenterologists and pharmacologists. Novel drugs capable to modulate enteric glia reactivity, limiting the pro-inflammatory release of S100B, may thus represent a significant innovation in the field of pharmacological interventions for inflammatory bowel diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology 'Vittorio Erspamer', University Sapienza of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capoccia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience (LENS), TARGID, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology 'Vittorio Erspamer', University Sapienza of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gigli
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sarnelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology 'Vittorio Erspamer', University Sapienza of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology 'Vittorio Erspamer', University Sapienza of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy giuseppe.esposito@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000294:innervation*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; C579160:S100B protein, human; D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: S100B; enteric glia; enteric nervous system; inflammatory bowel diseases; nitric oxide