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Nervous gut

Human intestinal organoids with a functioning enteric nervous system

January 5, 2017 11:19 PM UTC

Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have developed the first human intestinal organoid model with a functioning enteric nervous system. The model not only provides a more complete picture of human gastrointestinal (GI) physiology for studies of normal development and disease, but opens the possibility of specifically modeling nerve disorders of the human GI tract, such as Hirschsprung’s disease and a variety of gut neuropathies.

Industry and academic scientists alike are increasingly turning to human organoids as alternatives to animal models and cell lines for modeling disease and screening compounds. At least three companies and 17 academic groups have disclosed development of organoid systems. However, until now, none of the reported gut organoid models have contained enteric nerves. ...