TY - JOUR
T1 - MicroRNA regulation of enteric nervous system development and disease
AU - Holland, Amy Marie
AU - Jehoul, Reindert
AU - Vranken, Jorunn
AU - Wohl, Stefanie Gabriele
AU - Boesmans, Werend
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO: G036320N, W001620N), the Dutch Research Council (NWO VIDI: 016.196.367), and the Special Research Fund (BOF) of UHasselt (BOF22KP17). W.B. acknowledges additional funding from the Francqui Foundation. S.G.W. was supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI, R01EY032532). J.V. was supported by a fellowship from FWO (1193925N) and additional BOF funding from UHasselt (BOF24DOC49). Figures were created using BioRender.com.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2025/4
Y1 - 2025/4
N2 - The enteric nervous system (ENS), an elaborate network of neurons and glia woven through the gastrointestinal tract, is integral for digestive physiology and broader human health. Commensurate with its importance, ENS dysfunction is linked to a range of debilitating gastrointestinal disorders. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), with their pleiotropic roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation, serve as key developmental effectors within the ENS. Herein, we review the regulatory dynamics of miRNAs in ENS ontogeny, showcasing specific miRNAs implicated in both congenital and acquired enteric neuropathies, such as Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), achalasia, intestinal neuronal dysplasia (IND), chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO), and slow transit constipation (STC). By delineating miRNA-mediated mechanisms in these diseases, we underscore their importance for ENS homeostasis and highlight their potential as therapeutic targets.
AB - The enteric nervous system (ENS), an elaborate network of neurons and glia woven through the gastrointestinal tract, is integral for digestive physiology and broader human health. Commensurate with its importance, ENS dysfunction is linked to a range of debilitating gastrointestinal disorders. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), with their pleiotropic roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation, serve as key developmental effectors within the ENS. Herein, we review the regulatory dynamics of miRNAs in ENS ontogeny, showcasing specific miRNAs implicated in both congenital and acquired enteric neuropathies, such as Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), achalasia, intestinal neuronal dysplasia (IND), chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO), and slow transit constipation (STC). By delineating miRNA-mediated mechanisms in these diseases, we underscore their importance for ENS homeostasis and highlight their potential as therapeutic targets.
KW - Hirschsprung's disease
KW - epigenetics
KW - gastrointestinal
KW - gut
KW - neural crest cells
KW - noncoding RNA
U2 - 10.1016/j.tins.2025.02.004
DO - 10.1016/j.tins.2025.02.004
M3 - (Systematic) Review article
SN - 0166-2236
VL - 48
SP - 268
EP - 282
JO - Trends in Neurosciences
JF - Trends in Neurosciences
IS - 4
ER -