INTERSTITIAL-CELLS OF CAJAL AS TARGETS FOR PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTION IN GASTROINTESTINAL MOTOR DISORDERS

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) have recently been identified as th e pacemaker cells for contractile activity of the gastrointestinal tra ct. These ce Ils generate the electrical 'slow-wave' activity that de termines the characteristic frequency of phasic contractions of the st omach, intestine and colon. Slow waves also determine the direction an d velocity of propagation of peristaltic activity, in concert with the enteric nervous system. Characterization of receptors and ion channel s in the ICC membrane is under way, and manipulation of slow-wave acti vity markedly alters movement of contents through the gut organs. Here Jan Huizinga, Lars Thuneberg, Jean-Marie Vanderwinden and Juri Rumess en, suggest that, as ICCs a re unique to the gut, they mig ht be ideal targets for pharmacological intervention in gastrointestinal motility disorders, which are very common and costly.