Communication between the digestive system and brain is much more intricate than previously thought. The digestive epithelium is laced with sensors that monitor the contents of the gut, reporting back to the brain, stimulating appropriate hormones and digestive action to guide motility, chemistry, and absorption. This network is frequently referred to as the 'second brain' because of the dense neurophysiology at work. Recently it has been hypothesized that dysfunction in the gut-brain axis may be the basis for several immune and neurological disorders, suggesting that this neurological system may be an excellent drug target. Nancy Thornberry, CEO and Founder of Kallyope (Cal-EE-O-pay) describes the gut-brain axis, its role in digestive signaling, her company's novel drug discovery methods, and potential drug targets that may lead to innovative therapies for human health originating here in the second brain.
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The Gut-Brain Axis: What it is, associated problems and new therapies. Nancy Thornberry
Research is showing a more intimate association between the digestive system and the brain, a bi-directional sensing and signaling network that directs digestive physiology. New findings reveal potential inroads into other disease stemming from dysregulation of this system. CEO Nancy Thornberry from Kallyope describes her company's novel approaches to studying signaling in the gut-brain axis with an emphasis of drug discovery to resolve health issues stemming from dysfunction in the "second brain".
Sep 10, 2022 by Dr. Kevin Folta in Talking Biotech