Anatomy and Neuroscience - Research Publications

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    Transplanted progenitors generate functional enteric neurons in the postnatal colon
    Hotta, R ; Stamp, LA ; Foong, JPP ; McConnell, SN ; Bergner, AJ ; Anderson, RB ; Enomoto, H ; Newgreen, DF ; Obermayr, F ; Furness, JB ; Young, HM (AMER SOC CLINICAL INVESTIGATION INC, 2013-03)
    Cell therapy has the potential to treat gastrointestinal motility disorders caused by diseases of the enteric nervous system. Many studies have demonstrated that various stem/progenitor cells can give rise to functional neurons in the embryonic gut; however, it is not yet known whether transplanted neural progenitor cells can migrate, proliferate, and generate functional neurons in the postnatal bowel in vivo. We transplanted neurospheres generated from fetal and postnatal intestinal neural crest-derived cells into the colon of postnatal mice. The neurosphere-derived cells migrated, proliferated, and generated neurons and glial cells that formed ganglion-like clusters within the recipient colon. Graft-derived neurons exhibited morphological, neurochemical, and electrophysiological characteristics similar to those of enteric neurons; they received synaptic inputs; and their neurites projected to muscle layers and the enteric ganglia of the recipient mice. These findings show that transplanted enteric neural progenitor cells can generate functional enteric neurons in the postnatal bowel and advances the notion that cell therapy is a promising strategy for enteric neuropathies.
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    The emergence of neural activity and its role in the development of the enteric nervous system
    Hao, MM ; Bornstein, JC ; Vanden Berghe, P ; Lomax, AE ; Young, HM ; Foong, JPP (ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE, 2013-10-01)
    The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a vital part of the autonomic nervous system that regulates many gastrointestinal functions, including motility and secretion. All neurons and glia of the ENS arise from neural crest-derived cells that migrate into the gastrointestinal tract during embryonic development. It has been known for many years that a subpopulation of the enteric neural crest-derived cells expresses pan-neuronal markers at early stages of ENS development. Recent studies have demonstrated that some enteric neurons exhibit electrical activity from as early as E11.5 in the mouse, with further maturation of activity during embryonic and postnatal development. This article discusses the maturation of electrophysiological and morphological properties of enteric neurons, the formation of synapses and synaptic activity, and the influence of neural activity on ENS development.