Worm genes reveal the phenomenon of tissue regeneration

  By studying the regeneration ability of planar planar insect flatworms, researchers at Northwestern University in the United States discovered genes that can promote the regeneration of human tissues. The length of the Plan Dragon is between 2 and 20 millimeters, and its complex anatomy contains approximately 1 million cells. Unexpectedly, even if the head is amputated, this animal still has the ability to regenerate all parts of the body. This is because stem cells have similar characteristics to human embryonic stem cells. The genome of the worm has been sequenced. Due to its unique basic biology, Planaria vulgaris is often used by scientists to study the mechanism of tissue repair. Christine Peterson, associate professor of molecular biology at the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, and Constanta Vasquez Doaman, a doctoral student in his laboratory, are the ZICs in his laboratory. They can control the stem cells of Bulgarian sycamore. I discovered a gene called -1. It turns them into "signal centers" and is responsible for coordinating tissue regeneration in the production of new organs in animals.

  Researchers studied the ZIC-1 gene of the worm and used its product as a transcription factor to generate cells that secrete the growth-promoting protein NOTUM, and lyse and regenerate the worm’s head. It was later found to promote the regeneration of upper tissues. Peterson said these results indicate the need for special use of stem cell progeny to regulate the production of new tissue after regeneration after injury. "Many studies of human or mammalian stem cells have focused on how to modify these cells to produce new cell types, but an important long-term challenge in stem cell research is these cells. It is a method of using complex tissues for regeneration and repair. "This study has established that ZIC protein is a key regulator of tissue regeneration and provides a better roadmap for improving the repair of human tissues using human stem cells."