Candice Fung

A sneak peak of a complex and technically challenging experiment that my lab developed: doi.org/10.1096/fj.2.... Super proud of PhD candidate Hannah Johnson for showcasing our Whole-gut spatial genomic analysis in #zebrafish. This video illustrates one landmark in the protocol after multiple 1/3

Intestinal macrophages modulate synucleinopathy along the gut–brain axis - Nature Muscularis macrophages, housekeepers of enteric nervous system integrity and intestinal homeostasis, modulate α-synuclein pathology and neurodegeneration in models of Parkinson’s disease, and understanding the accompanying mechanisms could pave the way for early-stage biomarkers.

Nature research paper: Intestinal macrophages modulate synucleinopathy along the gut–brain axis

go.nature.com/4rg6DOI

Perlecan, CollagenXVIII, and Agrin Expression in Normo‐, Hypo‐, and Aganglionic Segments in Hirschsprung's Disease The secretory heparan sulphate proteoglycans perlecan, agrin, collagen18A1 are expressed in the periganglionic sheath of enteric ganglia in resectates of Hirschsprung's disease patients and non-Hirsc...

📢 Remember those sleepless nights when you were kept awake from not knowing how the HSPG expression was in #ENS ganglia in #Hirschsprung 's disease?!

🤯 These days are over, as you can read all about it in our new paper @ngmjournal.bsky.social !

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

We're excited to announce that applications for the best early investigator meeting in the field are open now. Treat yourself in this festive period and apply.
For details visit lbbb2026.com
Please share with friends and colleagues.
@dgnm.bsky.social

Really enjoyed highlighting this work by @vmsruetten.bsky.social from @mishaahrens.bsky.social lab for preLights. WHOLISTIC! A whole-body functional atlas of cellular dynamics. Lots of cool things in the preprint.
@hhmijanelia.bsky.social @prelights.bsky.social

Human gut M cells resemble dendritic cells and present gluten antigen @nature.com @hansclevers.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Enteric nervous system-derived VIP restrains differentiation of LGR5+ stem cells toward the secretory lineage controlling type 1 and 2 immune balance @natimmunol.nature.com @champalimaudf.bsky.social @neuroimmune-rok.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

An enteric-DRG pathway for interoception and visceral pain in mice Wang et al. reveal a neuroanatomical and functional crosstalk between cholinergic enteric neurons and sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia that mediates colonic interoception. While this…

Enteric Neurons Join the Dialogue on Pain!

A recent study reveals that cholinergic circuits within the colon communicate through dorsal root ganglion (DRG) pathways, particularly following inflammation.
👉 www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...

STEM CELL THERAPIES FOR ENTERIC NEUROPATHIES, with Dr Lincon Stamp, Senior Research Fellow & Group Leader, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Melbourne @unimelb.bsky.social , Victoria, Australia @stamphaolab.bsky.social youtu.be/4EdI2jJL1l8

👉 We generated a starter pack for #neurogastroenterology and enteric #neuroscience!

Let's connect and bring gut-brain research and clinical neurogastroenterology to the next level! 🌐

go.bsky.app/3Z82PbH

When is a Monomer not a Monomer? The Top Three Ways Your Favorite Fluorescent Protein Oligomerizes in Cells Many commonly used fluorescent proteins form dimers producing artifacts in a variety of experimental settings. Learn how to avoid these artifacts.

💡 Always a good time to be reminded: "if you fuse your protein of interest to GFP or EGFP to study the protein's behavior ... you are using a tag with a serious drawback."
Same goes for anything that doesn't have 'm' in its name (looking at you, dTomato and StayGold)

New online! Nutrient sensing and small intestinal enteric neurons

Nutrients activate distinct patterns of small-intestinal enteric neurons - Nature Calcium imaging of the mouse jejunum shows that specific nutrients in the intestinal lumen are detected by epithelial cells, which activate specific sets of enteric neurons through a serotonin-mediated signalling process.

Nature research paper: Nutrients activate distinct patterns of small-intestinal enteric neurons

go.nature.com/4lr616y

Thanks, Begüm!

Thanks, Filipe! Glad to hear :)

Thanks to all involved! @wboesmans.bsky.social @pietervandenberghe.bsky.social
@stamphaolab.bsky.social

Ecstatic to share our paper on nutrient signaling in the #EntericNervousSystem published in Nature! 🧪

We explored how neurons in the gut respond to basic nutrients that we typically ingest and tested whether they can distinguish between different nutrients 🔬

Check it out 👉 tinyurl.com/3vc756dv

The website for next year's symposium on 'ENS development, function and repair' is online!

Please visit ens-leuven2026.eu and mark your 📆 Updates and more information will follow soon.

We hope to see you next April in Leuven 🇧🇪 with your most exciting #ENS science!

@pietervandenberghe.bsky.social

The transcriptomes, connections and development of submucosal neuron classes in the mouse small intestine Nature Neuroscience - The neuronal composition of the intestinal submucosal plexus is incompletely understood. Here Li et al. define their neuron classes, connectome and stepwise acquisition of...

Check out our new study on the innermost nervous system of the body—the submucosal plexus. We define three neuronal classes, map their connectivity, and uncover their stepwise development via phenotypic switching. Congrats to all authors! #NatureNeuroscience #EntericNervousSystem rdcu.be/eoqXz

New preprint from our group on bioRxiv, a little step towards a better understanding of how coordinated contractions develop in the human intestine. Please check it out and let us know your thoughts.

April 2025 issue of Trends in Neurosciences:
www.cell.com/issue/S0166-...

Free featured articles & more:
cell.com/trends/neuro...

Cover article: ‘MicroRNA regulation of enteric nervous system development and disease’ by Holland et al., @wboesmans.bsky.social group
www.cell.com/trends/neuro...

Scientists Find Promising New Target for Antidepressants—In the Gut Increasing serotonin in the lining of the gut improves anxiety and depression in animal studies and may offer new therapeutic approach during pregnancy to avoid newfound risk of digestive issues in ch...

New study: Boosting serotonin in the gut (not the brain) eases anxiety + depression—without the side effects. A safer path for treatment, especially during pregnancy. #GutBrainAxis #MentalHealth #SSRI
@karapedsgastrodoc.bsky.social
@nyupainresearch.bsky.social

www.nyu.edu/about/news-p...

Check this #JS2025 #colloque #GLICO Glial communication 🧠
🎤 @wboesmans.bsky.social @candicechaps.bsky.social #IBrunet #QRoux @laisbfugio.bsky.social #VMoulle #CLeBerre
💻 #MDerkindren #TDurand @labsoap.bsky.social
🗓️ 27-05 Nantes
🚧 Free Registration limited seats
js.univ-nantes.fr/jassiste-aux...

Intestinal-region-specific functions of AHR in intrinsic enteric neurons during infections Intrinsic enteric neurons (iENs) emerge as crucial regulators of immune responses in the intestine, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Sun et al. show that AHR differentially regulates iEN activation in different intestinal segments and that AHR expression in neurons constrains ILC3 responses and antibacterial immunity in the ileum.

Intestinal-region-specific functions of AHR in intrinsic enteric neurons during infections

Enteric neuronal Piezo1 maintains mechanical and immunological homeostasis by sensing force Expression and functional analysis define how Piezo1-dependent cholinergic responses by enteric neurons directly sense luminal pressure to orchestrate digestion and inflammation in mice.

Now online! Enteric neuronal Piezo1 maintains mechanical and immunological homeostasis by sensing force

Epic effort led by Tomo Ameku in the lab, with contributions from the labs of Nick Bellono, Vassilis Pachnis, @francoisleulier.bsky.social, @schwarzergnoto.bsky.social, @priscaliberali.bsky.social, ‪@coxlabkcl.bsky.social,‬ @priscaliberali.bsky.social and Maria Rodriguez-Colman

📖 LATEST ISSUE NOW LIVE 📖

This issue commemorates the late Dr. Gary M. Mawe who was a highly respected and much-loved Reviewing Editor for The Journal of Physiology. His snowflake photography features as the issue cover art❄️📷

🔗https://buff.ly/8BaJ270

Color-neutral and reversible tissue transparency enables longitudinal deep-tissue imaging in live mice Light scattering in biological tissue presents a significant challenge for deep in vivo imaging. Our previous work demonstrated the ability to achieve optical transparency in live mice using intensely...

Excited to share this collaborative work led by Guosong Hong’s group @stanfordneuro.bsky.social. A new method to render animals optically transparent for deep tissue imaging across the visible spectrum 🌈

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Topological segregation of stress sensors along the gut crypt–villus axis - Nature Serotonergic enterochromaffin cells of the intestine exhibit distinct sensory, secretory and physiological properties depending on their location within the complex crypt–villus architecture of the gut.

Nature research paper: Topological segregation of stress sensors along the gut crypt–villus axis

https://go.nature.com/4b4jcpC