This is a cell found in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and serves as a pacemaker that triggers gut contraction. ICCs mediate inputs from the enteric nervous system to smooth muscle cells and are thought to be the cells from which gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) arise. [ GOC:tfm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16460275 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19520112 ]