Digestive and Nutrient Physiology and Diseases – DNPD
The Digestive and Nutrient Physiology and Diseases (DNPD) study section reviews applications involving function and physiology of the GI tract with respect to the physiology or pathophysiology of digestion, nutrition and related functional disorders. Topics include GI development and growth differentiation control, GI dysplasia and pre-neoplasia not due to immune or host-microbe interactions, brain-gut interactions, enteric nervous system, motility disorders, acid secretion and acid related disease, GI hormones, pancreatic function and dysfunction, GI system nutrient absorption and malabsorption, diarrheal diseases.
Review Dates
Topics
- Epithelial biology including barrier function, stem cells, development, regeneration and restitution throughout the GI tract.
- Epithelial metaplasia, Barrett’s esophagus, dysplasia and pre-neoplasia not due to immune or host-microbe interactions.
- Acid secretion and acid-related disease including GERD.
- Neurobiology of the GI system including brain/gut interactions, IBS, enteric nervous system, visceral pain, influences and role of the microbiome in these processes.
- GI motility and related disorders including fecal incontinence, regulation of sphincters, esophageal motility, and gastroparesis.
- Function and disease of the exocrine pancreas including acute and chronic pancreatitis.
- Physiology of digestion including GI hormones, integrated responses to food intake, nutrient and vitamin transport and adsorption, fluid and electrolyte absorption and secretion, effects of pre and pro-biotics.
- Genetic determinants of digestive diseases including gene regulation, risk factors, and biomarkers.
Shared Interests and Overlaps
There are shared interests with Digestive System Host Defense, Microbial Interactions and Immune and Inflammatory Disease (DHMI). Studies focused on the mucosal layer, mucosal immunology or inflammatory processes may be reviewed in DHMI, while studies involving GI epithelial cell biology, GI dysplasia and pre-neoplasia may be reviewed here. Diseases of the exocrine pancreas that are of inflammatory origin may be reviewed in DHMI.
There are shared interests with Nutrition and Metabolism in Health and Disease (NMHD) in the investigation of nutrient transport. Applications that focus on the metabolic consequences of transport may be reviewed in NMHD, while those focused on the absorption and transport mechanisms within the GI tract may be reviewed here.
Studies of stem cells when GI stem cells are being used as a model system for basic stem cell development may be reviewed in the Cell Biology (CB) IRG, whereas studies of GI stem cell regulation and signaling in the context of GI development, function or repair may be reviewed here.
Studies of frank cancer within the GI tract are reviewed elsewhere.
