AUTHOR=Liu Chang , Yang Jing 

TITLE=Enteric Glial Cells in Immunological Disorders of the Gut

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

VOLUME=16

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2022.895871

DOI=10.3389/fncel.2022.895871

ISSN=1662-5102

ABSTRACT=<p>Enteric glial cells (EGCs) are one of the major cell types of neural crest lineage distributed in the gastrointestinal tract. EGCs represent an integral part of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and significantly outnumber ENS neurons. Studies have suggested that EGCs would exert essential roles in supporting the survival and functions of the ENS neurons. Notably, recent evidence has begun to reveal that EGCs could possess multiple immune functions and thereby may participate in the immune homeostasis of the gut. In this review article, we will summarize the current evidence supporting the potential involvement of EGCs in several important immunological disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and autoimmune enteropathy. Further, we highlight critical questions on the immunological aspects of EGCs that warrant future research attention.</p>