Gastrointestinal motility disorders: from pathogenesis to therapeutic strategies

Gastrointestinal motility disorders (GIMDs) are characterized by impaired gastrointestinal motility. The prevention and treatment of GIMDs remain challenging, because of their prevalence and complexity. The pathogenesis of GIMDs involves multiple factors, such as dysregulation of the enteric nervous system, smooth muscle dysfunction, neurotransmitter imbalance, chronic inflammation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis, which synergistically contribute to GIMD development and progression. Currently, modern medicine remains the primary approach for treating GIMDs, with prokinetic agents such as mosapride and domperidone. However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has attracted attention as a complementary and alternative therapy that can considerably alleviate GIMDs. Accordingly, this review is aimed at comprehensively summarizing the pathogenesis and current management of GIMDs, on the basis of articles in the PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Future GIMD research should focus on the discovery of new therapeutic targets and the deep synergies between TCM and modern medicine, to achieve a transition from evidence-based medicine to precision medicine, which may aid in the development of more effective interventions and optimization of GIMD management.