The ‘mini brain’ guiding your gut
The image above shows silver stained nerves in the large intestine of a mouse.
The gut nervous system can function independently of the central nervous system and is often referred to as a ‘mini-brain’. These nerves are vital in maintaining normal digestive function; however research suggests that gut nerves are also involved in the immune response.
Changes in the way your gut works have been associated with all manner of conditions from obesity and diabetes to inflammatory bowel disease and depression. BBSRC-funded PhD student Victoria Kinsley from University of Manchester is looking at nerves in the gut. Her research aims to clarify how individual variation in nerve function can influence susceptibility to disease and therefore increase our understanding of the human response to inflammation.
Image credit: Victoria Kinsley
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