New vistas on gastrointestinal motility: from physiology to therapy an international symposium in Rome

This special issue contains several key contributions to the international symposium “New vistas on gastrointestinal motility: from physiology to therapy”, which took place in Rome (Italy) on September 28th-29th, 2007. The symposium was organized jointly by the Department of Pharmacology and the Department of Internal Medicine of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome, sponsored by the Fondazione Internazionale Menarini and held at the Catholic University. The meeting addressed a vast audience – anatomists, physiologists, pharmacologists, pathologists, gastroenterologists and, also, general practitioners, surgeons and other clinicians – with the aim to improve the understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of neuromuscular behavior in the gastrointestinal tract and to advance the treatment of motor and functional gastrointestinal disorders. To this end, the symposium program covered a select range of cutting-edge preclinical and clinical topics in the field of gastrointestinal motility and neurogastroenterology. These aspects were discussed by internationally recognized opinion leaders.