A new article published in Acta Materia Medica reviews the latest findings on gastrointestinal motility disorders (GIMDs), a group of conditions marked by impaired movement within the digestive tract. The article highlights that GIMDs remain difficult to prevent and treat due to their widespread occurrence and complex causes.
The authors note that the pathogenesis of GIMDs involves several interconnected factors, including issues with the enteric nervous system, dysfunction in smooth muscle, imbalances in neurotransmitters, chronic inflammation, and disruptions in gut microbiota. These factors work together to drive the development and progression of these disorders.
Modern medical treatments for GIMDs primarily use prokinetic drugs such as mosapride and domperidone. The review also points out growing interest in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as an alternative or complementary therapy, suggesting it can help alleviate symptoms associated with GIMDs.
"This review is aimed at comprehensively summarizing the pathogenesis and current management of GIMDs, on the basis of articles in the PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases," according to the publication.
Looking ahead, the authors recommend that future research should prioritize finding new therapeutic targets and exploring how TCM can work alongside modern medicine. They state: "Future GIMD research should focus on the discovery of new therapeutic targets and the deep synergies between TCM and modern medicine, to achieve a transition from evidence-based medicine to precision medicine, which may aid in the development of more effective interventions and optimization of GIMD management."
