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Chemoreceptors in the Gut
1Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
Annual Review of Physiology
|October 15, 2017
Summary
The gut uses a chemosensory system to distinguish nutrients from harmful substances, influencing appetite and gut function. Targeting these taste pathways offers new therapeutic strategies for gut health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neurogastroenterology
- Sensory Biology
Background:
- The gastrointestinal (GI) tract acts as a major interface with the external environment.
- Gut epithelial cells possess a chemosensory system crucial for nutrient assimilation and pathogen expulsion.
- Dysregulation of this sensory communication is implicated in GI diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the emerging role of gut chemosensation in regulating GI function.
- To explore the potential of targeting gut taste perception for therapeutic interventions.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research on gut chemosensory pathways.
- Analysis of the link between sensory signaling and GI effector systems (appetite, immunity, motility).
Main Results:
- Gut epithelial cells are equipped with a sophisticated chemosensory system.
- This system communicates sensory information to regulate appetite, immune responses, and GI motility.
- Taste perception emerges as a key regulator of gut function.
Conclusions:
- Targeting gut chemosensory signaling pathways presents novel therapeutic opportunities.
- Dietary interventions or agonists could modulate these pathways for health and disease management.
- Further research in this emerging field is warranted.
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