The Role of the Enteric Nervous System in Regulating the Function of the Gastrointestinal Epithelium

Maintaining normal digestion involves the communication between different cell types present within our gut. This thesis has relied on the use of mini organs made from stem cells to recapture the anatomy and physiology of the gut in a dish. The nervous system of the gut is often referred to as the second brain and was shown to influence the growth of the important cell barrier of the gut that is damaged in diseases. This has proven another role of the nervous system that could offer more targeted treatment options for patients in the future to overcome cancer or inflammation of the gut.