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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

A Quantitative Cell Migration Assay for Murine Enteric Neural Progenitors
Published on: September 18, 2013
Modulation of specific intestinal epithelial progenitors by enteric neurons
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8. matthew.bjerknes@utoronto.ca
Abstract:
The proglucagon-derived peptide glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2), a product of a subset of gut epithelial cells, is pursued clinically for its ability to stimulate gut epithelial growth and repair. Here we show that although specific epithelial progenitors respond to GLP-2 administration, the epithelium does not express the GLP-2 receptor. Rather, enteric neurons express the receptor, respond to GLP-2, and transmit a signal (which can be blocked by the voltage-gated sodium channel inhibitor tetrodotoxin) back to the epithelium. Thus the nervous system is a key component of a feedback loop regulating epithelial growth and repair.
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