# A microfluidic model of neuro-epithelial sensory system

> **NIH NIH R21** · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · 2020 · $437,250

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
We use afferent sensory information to interact with the environment via senses like touch, vision, hearing, and
taste. Sensory neurons rarely traverse epithelium, since epithelia form borders between our body and the
environment. Thus, the central aspect of these senses is the neuro-epithelial connection, where a specialized
epithelial cell (e.g. Merkel cell for touch, or hair cell for hearing) interacts with an afferent sensory neuron.
Sensory neuro-epithelial connections are challenging to study because the soma of sensory neurons tend to
be far away from the epithelia (e.g. DRG) and only specialized, sparsely distributed epithelial cells are capable
of primary sensory transduction. Thus, despite its physiological importance, there remains little mechanistic
understanding of neuro-epithelial communication. For example, every class of specialized sensory epithelial
cells release a range of neuroactive transmitters, and primary afferent neurons express a variety of receptors
and primary transduction proteins, providing a vast potential for redundant signaling pathways. Likewise, it is
unclear whether neuro-epithelial communication occurs via synaptic, paracrine, or even exosome
communication. Microfluidic devices in general provide an especially attractive reductionist system to study
cell-to-cell communication. A microfluidics device that targets the study of neuro-epithelial communication has
great potential to address the critical knowledge gap in understanding these important systems.
The Co-PI of this proposal (Beyder) discovered a population of specialized mechanosensitive sensory
epithelial cells in the gut that bears a close resemblance in development and function to the skin’s light touch
sensors, the Merkel cells. These cells may signal to sensory neurons via synapse, paracrine, or endocrine
routes. The gut neuro-epithelial connection has the advantage of being plentiful (the largest surface area
between internal and external environments, and novel organoid techniques to generate epithelial organoids)
and accessible (humans and animals can survive excision of both the epithelial cells and cell bodies of afferent
neurons that are located in the gut wall). The long-term goal of the collaboration between the two Co-PIs
(physician-scientist [Beyder] and biomedical engineer [Revzin]) is to develop novel tools to help delineate how
biochemical and mechanical signals are integrated into the neuro-epithelial sensory system. Our hypothesis in
this R21 project is that we can develop a microfluidic co-culture of enteric sensory neurons and specialized
epithelial sensory cells that will recapitulate aspects of neuro-epithelial interactions observed in vivo. We will
combine the ability to selectively stimulate the epithelial compartment by chemical or mechanical stimuli with
the ability to guide neuronal extensions toward epithelial cells, and integrate genetically encoded optogenetic
and chemogenetic sensory epithelial cell modulation an...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10070985
- **Project number:** 1R21NS118790-01
- **Recipient organization:** MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Arthur Beyder
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $437,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-15 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10070985

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10070985, A microfluidic model of neuro-epithelial sensory system (1R21NS118790-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10070985. Licensed CC0.

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