01/23/2026
🧐Enteric glia are some of the most abundant cells in the gut, but whether they come in different types has been a long‑standing question.
🧠 A new Neuron study from the group of Meenakshi Rao at Harvard Medical School shows that glia in the mouse intestine aren’t all the same: they form distinct groups with different roles. The team identifies Tacr3 as a key marker for one major glial type and uncovers a signaling pathway (NKB–TACR3) that helps these cells develop and later influences how the gut moves.
✨They also reveal that these TACR3‑positive glia are an unexpected target of medications that block TACR3, offering clues about common GI side effects 🦠
📖 Read the full study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2025.11.030