Activated the first regeneration ability in flatworms

(Researchers) - Researchers were able to activate the regeneration ability of organisms. Rabbits can't be reborn, frogs are either, but zebrafish and axolotl (a salamander species) can and flat worms are masters of regeneration.

The reason why some animals can regenerate their organs or organs after being lost, while others cannot remain a big mystery yet to answer. And regeneration is a compelling challenge for humans, a question is whether it is possible to activate regeneration in non-regenerating species?

Researchers at the Max Planch Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics in Dresden have now taken a step forward in studying the factors that regulate regeneration. They found an important molecular connection in the flatworm Dendrocoelum lacteum to decide whether the amputated head could be regenerated. And what's more spectacular: Scientists manipulated the worm's genetic circuit in a similar way to completely restore its regenerative ability.

In his lab, Jochen Rink, the leader of the research team at MPI-CBG, often studies flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. This is a species known for its excellent regeneration abilities and is therefore a common specimen in research on regeneration: 'We can cut the worm into 200 pieces, and 200 new worms. will be reborn from every piece and every piece, ' explained Rink. Now, in order to change, Rink and his colleagues brought another species into the lab to study, which is the flatworm Dendrocoelum lacteum. Despite being a close relative of the reincarnation 'expert' S. mediterranea, this species is still noted to be incapable of regenerating its head from the back half of its body. 'What is the main difference between these two relatives' , researchers have questioned.

Together with the researchers from the Regenerative Therapy Center Dresden, Rink's team studied to find answers within the genes of the two species, focusing on what is called the Wnt signaling pathway . Like a cable connection between two computers, the transmission line transmits information between cells. The scientists of Dresden inhibited the signal transducer of the Wnt pathway with RNA, i and then made the worm's cells believe that the signaling pathway was switched to 'off'. As a result, Dendrocoelum lacteum was able to develop a fully functional head everywhere, even when the cut was very close to the tail.

Reconstruction of a head complete with the brain, the eyes and all the central nervous system is a very complex task. However, as this study has shown, regeneration defects are not necessarily reversed. Jochen Rink was stunned: 'We thought we would need to manipulate hundreds of different connections to correct a reincarnation flaw, now we have learned that sometimes Some knots can do ' Is this knowledge soon applied to more complex species, such as humans as an example? 'We have found that with comparisons between related species, we can take a closer look at why some animals can regenerate, while others do not - that is an important first step '.