Interstitial Cells of Cajal

Published13 Nov 2020
Author Calli McMurray
Source BrainFacts/SfN

The gut’s pacemaker cells, interstitial cells of Cajal, produce slow electrical waves to keep food moving through the digestive tract.

Brain Bytes showcase essential facts about neuroscience.

Design by A. Tong

Design by Adrienne Tong.

Image "Physiology, Injury, and Recovery of Interstitial Cells of Cajal" by Huizinga et al. Gastroenterology, 2009.

About the Author

Calli McMurray

Calli McMurray is the Media & Science Writing Associate at SfN. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience.

Content Provided By

BrainFacts/SfN

References

Huizinga, J. D., Chen, J., Mikkelsen, H. B., Wang, X., Parsons, S. P., & Zhu, Y. F. (2013). Interstitial cells of Cajal, from structure to function. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7. doi:10.3389/fnins.2013.00043

Al-Shboul, O. A. (2013). The Importance of Interstitial Cells of Cajal in the Gastrointestinal Tract. Saudi J Gastroenterol, 19(1), 3-15. doi:10.4103/1319-3767.105909

Huizinga, J. D., Zarate, N., & Farrugia, G. (2009). Physiology, Injury, and Recovery of Interstitial Cells of Cajal: Basic and Clinical Science. Gastroenterology, 137(5), 1548-1556. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.09.023

Klein, S., Seidler, B., Kettenberger, A., Sibaev, A., Rohn, M., Feil, R., . . . Saur, D. (2013). Interstitial cells of Cajal integrate excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission with intestinal slow-wave activity. Nature Communications, 4(1). doi:10.1038/ncomms2626