Physiology, Injury, and Recovery of Interstitial Cells of Cajal: Basic and Clinical Science

In the last 15 years, our understanding of the cellular basis of gastrointestinal function has been altered irreversibly by the discovery that normal gastrointestinal (GI) motility requires interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). Research in this relatively short time period has modified our original concept that the core unit that controls motility is made up of nerves and smooth muscle, to one that now includes ICC. This concept has now expanded to...