Gastrointestinal tract (GI)

Main departments

• Oral cavity
• Throat
• Gullet
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Colon
• Rectum

Chronicle

2023

Surgical sealant developed for "leaky intestines"

On June 15, 2023, Swiss researchers from the Federal Laboratories of Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) announced the development of a new type of surgical sealant that could warn doctors of intestinal insolvency after gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. Read more here.

A swallowed capsule with a remote-controlled video camera is presented to diagnose digestive problems

On June 1, 2023, American researchers from the School of Medicine and Health at George Washington University announced the development of an innovative guided video capsule designed to diagnose digestive problems. Read more here.

A smart capsule has been created that accelerates appetite

On April 26, 2023, US researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reported the development of a swallowed capsule that stimulates appetite and prevents the body from wasting as a result of malnutrition. Read more here.

Diagnostic capsule with GPS analogue for intestines created

In mid-February 2023, American scientists announced the development of a platform that allows 3D to track the location of a small diagnostic capsule when it passes through the gastrointestinal tract (GI). Read more here.

2022: Universal way to manage pain in various GI diseases revealed

On December 23, 2022, researchers from Flinders University in Australia reported a new discovery that could lead to the emergence of advanced ways to combat chronic pain associated with various gastrointestinal disorders (GI), such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Specialists from the University of Washington in the United States took part in the work. Scientists say that the development of selective painkillers for the gastrointestinal tract is difficult due to the lack of a clear understanding of how sensory neurons transmit signals from the intestine to the brain. It was previously known that various ion channels are involved in this mechanism. Now the main one has been identified: it is located in the colon and responds to mechanical irritation, leading to a feeling of pain.

Flinders University researchers discover universal way to manage pain in various GI diseases

As the researchers managed to establish, a Piezo2, a receptor, is involved in the work of this channel, for the discovery of which the Nobel Prize in Physiology was awarded in 2021. Piezo2, among other things, is responsible for touch and proprioception, that is, the feeling of the position of parts of one's own body relative to each other and in space. In the case of GI, as it turned out, the main ion channel responsible for mechanical pain also uses Piezo2. Thus, it becomes possible to develop targeted painkillers for the intestine.

Based on this knowledge, we can focus on targeting these channels to drown out pain and hopefully develop a treatment for visceral pain common in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, endometriosis, or abdominal cancer, while avoiding the devastating side effects of other drugs used, said Professor Nick Spencer of Flinders University.[1]

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