Mysterious immortal creatures, young and old

A self-regenerating Irish sea creature is being considered by scientists in the study of stem cells to treat birth defects and cancer.

Hydractinia echinatais - (Photo of The Irish Times)

Hydractinia echinatais is a creature with relatives of jellyfish and anemones, capable of regenerating any part of the body that is lost, replicating that body part.

The director of the NUI Galway Regenerative Medicine Institute in Ireland, Dr. Uri Frank, explains: 'In theory, this little creature is endless, so it is the perfect object to help us understand more about the role of stem cells. in research on disease and aging. They have stem cells that remain in tissue-like condition throughout its life. If they lose their heads, it can grow another head within a few days thanks to tissue-like stem cells - pluripotent stem cells ".

He said that versatility is a very wide field of applied research.

The research team discovered an unknown association between heat-shock protein (HSP) and the signaling pathway between Hydractinia echinatais stem cells called Wnt signaling . The signaling mechanism between these two cells is considered an important role in the study of maturity, aging and disease.