Gene Therapy of the Peripheral Nervous System: The Enteric Nervous System.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a complex network of ganglia embedded in the walls of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The highly integrated enteric neural network can act independently of sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation to control all aspects of GI function. Due to the central role the ENS plays in GI physiology, the ability to manipulate genetic expression within the ENS is an invaluable tool for both research and clinical applications. Here, we describe a method for gene delivery to the ENS using direct injections of adeno-associated virus (AAV) into the gut wall. This method is able to achieve transgene expression in both neurons and glia located in discrete areas of the ENS.