Dr Conor McCann was awarded a 3-year Derek Butler Research Fellowship in 2017 by Guts UK to undertake research into the potential for implanting stem cells into parts of the digestive system to reverse the effects of achalasia and gastroparesis.
Dr McCann works on Achalasia and Gastroparesis
Think about the last time you ate a sandwich. You chewed it, savoured it and then swallowed it: job done. We tend to forget about the food we eat as soon as we swallow it but for some people the journey of the food down the gullet, into the stomach, and onwards into the small intestine can be more challenging.
When we swallow, the gullet contracts at regular intervals, creating a wave-like movement that pushes the food forward. This process is called peristalsis. Once the food enters the stomach, the walls of the stomach contract to churn the food, mixing it with the gastric juices that help to break the food down. Once churned into a smooth liquid, the food enters the small intestine slowly, where it gets broken down further and absorbed into the bloodstream.
Unfortunately in some people these contractions do not work well. Achalasia and gastroparesis are two conditions that cause the progress of the food through the gut to slow down or stop…