Gut inflammation may rewire the 'second brain,' triggering lasting motility problems

Research by Milena Bogunovic, MD, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, sheds light on how inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as that associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can lead to long-lasting consequences for patients who end up developing functional motility disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the study revealed that intestinal inflammation changes how nerves are arranged in the intestine, which in turn affects how intestinal muscles contract.