Mapping and quantifying neuropeptides in the enteric nervous system

Neuropeptides are a highly diverse group of signaling molecules found in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs, including the enteric nervous system (ENS). Increasing efforts have been focused on dissecting the role of neuropeptides in both neural- and non-neural-related diseases, as well as their potential therapeutic value. In parallel, accurate knowledge on their source of production and pleiotropic functions is still needed to fully understand their implications in biological processes. This review will focus on the analytical challenges involved in studying neuropeptides, particularly in the ENS, a tissue where their abundance is low, together with opportunities for further technical development. •Neuropeptides regulate the enteric nervous system (ENS) and are potential targets to treat gastrointestinal diseases.•Imaging techniques are the main strategy for studying ENS neuropeptides as analyte abundance and cell density are low in this tissue.•Validation of adequate analytical tools is critical to investigations that require quantifying neuropeptides in the ENS.