Select Examples of Recent Published Work
1. Seguella L, Thomasi B, Basili Franzin S, McClain JL, Lavalle R, Zilli A, Parmar V, Esposito G, Gulbransen BD. Hyperactive enteric glia contribute to persistent dysmotility following inflammation by driving aberrant excitatory responses in neurons. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH). 2025 Sep 22:101634. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2025.101634. Online ahead of print. PMID: 40992736
2. Thomasi B, Lavalle R, McClain JL, Jamka J, Seguella L, Gulbransen BD. Enteric glial S100B controls rhythmic colonic functions by regulating excitability and specificity in gut motor neurocircuits. J Physiol. 2025 Sep 11. doi: 10.1113/JP289410. Online ahead of print. http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/JP289410 PMID: 40936303
3. Wemelle E, McClain JL, Gulbransen BD. Phosphorylation of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase as a Marker of Neuronal Inactivity in the Enteric Nervous System. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2025 Aug 16:e70135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nmo.70135. Online ahead of print. PMID: 40818104
4. Hendler BJ, McClain JL, Zilli A, Seguella L, Gulbransen BD. Purinergic P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors control enteric nervous system activity through neuro-glia-macrophage crosstalk. Purinergic Signal. 2024 Nov 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11302-024-10060-9. PMID: 39612055.
5. Morales-Soto W, Thomasi B, and Gulbransen BD. Endocannabinoids regulate enteric neuron-glia networks and visceral hypersensitivity following inflammation through a glial-dependent mechanism. Glia. 2024 Nov;72(11):2095-2114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/glia.24599. PMID:39132860
6. McClain JL, Morales-Soto W, Gonzales J, Parmar V, Demireva E, and Gulbransen BD. Sexually dimorphic effects of histamine degradation by enteric glial histamine N-methyltransferase on visceral hypersensitivity. Biomolecules. 2023 Nov 14;13(11):1651. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biom13111651. PMID: 38002333
7. Morales-Soto W, Gonzales J, Jackson W, Gulbransen BD. Enteric glia promote visceral hypersensitivity during inflammation through intercellular signaling with gut nociceptors. Science Signaling. 2023 Nov 21;16(812):eadg1668. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.adg1668. Epub 2023 Nov 21. PMID: 37988454
(Featured on journal cover and on Science Advisor, MSU Today, Quanta Magazine, and MedicalXpress.com)
8. Seguella L, McClain JL, Esposito G, and Gulbransen BD. (2022) Functional Intraregional and Interregional Heterogeneity between Myenteric Glial Cells of the Colon and Duodenum in Mice. The Journal of Neuroscience. Nov 16;42(46):8694-8708. http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2379-20.2022. PubMed PMID: 36319118.
9. Grubisic V, Bali V, Fried D, Eltzschig H, Robson S, Mazei-Robison M, Gulbransen BD. (2022) Enteric glial adenosine 2B receptor signaling mediates persistent epithelial barrier dysfunction following acute DSS colitis. Mucosal Immunology. July 22. Online ahead of print; http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41385-022-00550-7 PubMed PMID: 35869148.
10. Ahmadzai MM, McClain JL, Dharshika C, Seguella L, Giancola F, De Giorgio R, Gulbransen BD. (2022) LPAR1 regulates enteric nervous system function through glial signaling and contributes to chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. J Clin Invest (JCI) Feb 15;132(4):e149464. http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI149464. PubMed PMID: 35166239; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8843750.
11. Ahmadzai MM, Seguella L, Gulbransen BD. (2021) Circuit-specific enteric glia regulate intestinal motor neurocircuits. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 2021 Oct 5;118(40):e2025938118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2025938118. PMID: 34593632. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8501758.
Featured in Medical News Today, Whole Foods Magazine, and MSU Today
12. Chow AK, Grubisic V, Gulbransen BD. (2021) Enteric glia regulate lymphocyte activation via autophagy-mediated MHC-II expression. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH). 12(4):1215-1237. Epub 2021 Jun 22. DOI: http://dx/doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2021.06.008. PMID: 34166814; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC34166814.
13. Grubisic V, McClain JL, Fried DE, Grants I, Rajasekhar P, Csizmadia E, Ajiola OA, Watson RE, Poole DP, Robson SC, Christofi FL, Gulbransen BD. (2020) Enteric glia modulate macrophage phenotype and visceral sensitivity following inflammation. Cell Reports. Sept. 8; 32(10):108100 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellrep.2020.108100 PMID: 32905782
14. Delvalle NM, Dharshika C, Morales-Soto W, Fried DE, Gaudette L and Gulbransen BD. (2018) Communication between enteric neurons, glia, and nociceptors underlies the effects of tachykinins on neuroinflammation. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH). May 29;6(3):321-344. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2018.05.009 PMID: 30116771 Featured in Newsweek
14. Delvalle NM, Fried DE, Rivera-Lopez G, Gaudette L, Gulbransen BD. (2018) The cholinergic activation of enteric glia is a physiological mechanism that contributes to the regulation of gastrointestinal motility. American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. Oct 1;315(4):G473-G483. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00155.2018 PMID: 29927320
15. Brown IAM, McClain JL, Watson RE, Patel BA and Gulbransen BD. Enteric glia mediate neuron death in colitis through purinergic pathways that require connexin-43 and nitric oxide. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH) 2016 Jan;2(1):77-91. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2015.08.007 PMID: 26771001
Cover illustration; featured in CMGH commentary; #1 most cited and downloaded paper in CMGH in 2016
16. McClain JL, Fried DE and Gulbransen BD Agonist-evoked Ca2+ signaling in enteric glia drives neural programs that regulate intestinal motility in mice. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH) 2015 Nov;1(6):631-645. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2015.08.004 PMID: 26693173
17. McClain J*, Grubišić V*, Fried D, Gomez-Suarez RA, Leinninger GM, Sévigny J, Parpura V, Gulbransen BD. Ca2+ responses in enteric glia are mediated by connexin-43 hemichannels and modulate colonic transit in mice. Gastroenterology, 2014 Feb;146(2):497-507.e1. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2013.10.061. [Epub ahead of print 2013 Nov 6.]. PMID: 24211490
18. Gulbransen BD, Bashashati M, Hirota SA, Gui X, Roberts JA, MacDonald JA, Muruve DA, McKay DM, Beck PL, Mawe GM, Thompson RJ, Sharkey KA. Activation of neuronal P2X7 receptor-Pannexin-1 mediates death of enteric neurons during colitis. Nature Medicine 2012 Mar 18(4): 600-604. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nm.2679. PMID: 22426419
Highlighted by Faculty of 1000 and featured on Nature Medicine’s podcast, CBC TV News Calgary, CBC radio, QR77 Newsroom, Calgary Sun, Calgary Herald, 660 News, Ottawa Citizen, Vancouver Sun, The Province, Nanaimo Daily News, Victoria Times Colonist, StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Canada.com, Edmonton Journal, Windsor Star, and the Montreal Gazette
Representative Review Articles
1. Gulbransen BD, Verkhratsky A, Parpura V. Enteric glia and purinergic signaling in health and disease. Neuropharmacology. 2025 Nov 15;279:110645. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110645 Epub 2025 Aug 18. PMID: 40835089
2. Gonzales J, Gulbransen BD. The physiology of enteric glia. Annu Rev Physiol. 2024 Nov 15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-022724-105016. PMID: 39546562
3. Rao M, Gulbransen BD. Enteric Glia. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2024 Jul 1:a041368. http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a041368. PMID: 38951022
4. Seguella L, Gulbransen BD. Enteric glial biology, intercellular signaling, and roles in gastrointestinal disease. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2021 Mar 17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41575-021-00423-7. PMID:33731961; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8324524.
