title: Enteric Glial Cells: A New Frontier in Neurogastroenterology and Clinical Target for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
abstract: The word "glia" is derived from the Greek word "γλoια," glue of the enteric nervous system, and for many years, enteric glial cells (EGCs) were believed to provide mainly structural support. However, EGCs as astrocytes in the central nervous system may serve a much more vital and active role in the enteric nervous system, and in homeostatic regulation of gastrointestinal functions. The emphasis of this review will be on emerging concepts supported by basic, translational, and/or clinical studies, implicating EGCs in neuron-to-glial (neuroglial) communication, motility, interactions with other cells in the gut microenvironment, infection, and inflammatory bowel diseases. The concept of the "reactive glial phenotype" is explored as it relates to inflammatory bowel diseases, bacterial and viral infections, postoperative ileus, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and motility disorders. The main theme of this review is that EGCs are emerging as a new frontier in neurogastroenterology and a potential therapeutic target. New technological innovations in neuroimaging techniques are facilitating progress in the field, and an update is provided on exciting new translational studies. Gaps in our knowledge are discussed for further research. Restoring normal EGC function may prove to be an efficient strategy to dampen inflammation. Probiotics, palmitoylethanolamide (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α), interleukin-1 antagonists (anakinra), and interventions acting on nitric oxide, receptor for advanced glycation end products, S100B, or purinergic signaling pathways are relevant clinical targets on EGCs with therapeutic potential.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; †Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterological Unit, "Federico II" University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and ‡Department of Surgery, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Cortes
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turco
authors.forename: Andromeda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linan-Rico
authors.forename: Suren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soghomonyan
authors.forename: Emmett
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wehner
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.forename: Fievos L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Christofi
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication; D019610:Cytoprotection; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000166:cytology*; D005762:Gastroenterology; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology*; D011379:Prognosis; D015398:Signal Transduction