The enteric nervous system (ENS) has been explored by developmental neurobiologists and medical researchers for decades. Whereas developmental biologists have been unravelling the molecular mechanisms underlying the migration, proliferation and differentiation of the neural crest derivatives that give rise to the ENS, human geneticists have been uncovering the genetic basis for diseases of the ENS, notably Hirschsprung's disease. Here we discuss the exciting recent advances, including novel transgenic and genetic tools, a broadening range of model organisms, and the pursuit of ENS stem cells as a therapeutic tool, that are bringing these fields closer together.
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Human enteric glia diversity in health and disease: new avenues for the treatment of Hirschsprung disease.
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Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address:
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