Abstract
Human nervous system injuries from trauma or degenerative disorders are often permanent due to the little spontaneous regeneration. Conversely, echinoderms (sea stars and brittle stars) efficiently regenerate large parts of their body including nervous system (radial nerve cord). Consequently, discovering the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying regeneration in these animals can lead to the identification of mechanisms important to manipulate human neuroregeneration. The aim of this project is to build upon the successful characterization of adult arm regeneration in Amphiura filiformis and to focus on the regeneration of nerve cord using the state-of-the art Raman microscopy combined with molecular characterization of cell types at different stages of regeneration.
References
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