Immune-Competent 3D Bioengineered Colons for Functional Interrogation of Neuroinflammation-Induced Colonic Dysmotility
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Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) affect ∼40% of the global population and are frequently characterized by colonic dysmotility. Symptomatic manifestations of colonic dysmotility significantly reduce quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes, and Gulf War Illness (GWI). Current in vitro models lack the integration of functional physiology with immune and neuronal complexity required to establish causal links between neuroinflammation and dysmotility. Here, an immune-competent bioengineered colon is introduced that integrates multiple cell types of the external colonic wall, along with functional readouts of motility. Within bioengineered colons, exposure to pyridostigmine bromide (PB), a toxicant associated with GWI, drove interferon-gamma mediated neuroinflammation. Contractile motility dysfunction occurred in PB-exposed bioengineered colons due to neural progenitor depletion, and impaired neuronal regeneration. In contrast, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a cytokine central to IBD, induced NF-κB driven inflammation and smooth muscle remodeling, permitting partial neuronal recovery but sustaining dysmotility. The bioengineered colon model offered high fidelity in replicating diverse modes of enteric neuroinflammation. Ultimately, the platform offers a physiologically relevant avenue to interrogate neuroimmune crosstalk, dissect mechanisms of colonic dysmotility, and evaluate regenerative and therapeutic strategies for gastrointestinal pathologies.
