Beyond adult stem cells : dedifferentiation as a unifying mechanism underlying regeneration in invertebrate deuterostomes
Abstract
The diversity of regenerative phenomena seen in adult metazoans, as well as their underlying mechanistic bases, are still far from being comprehensively understood. Reviewing both ultrastructural and molecular data, the present work aims to showcase the increasing relevance of invertebrate deuterostomes, i.e. echinoderms, hemichordates, cephalochordates and tunicates, as invaluable models to study cellular aspects of adult regeneration. Our comparative approach suggests a fundamental contribution of local dedifferentiation -rather than mobilisation of resident undifferentiated stem cells- as an important cellular mechanism contributing to regeneration in these groups. Thus, elucidating the cellular origins, recruitment and fate of cells, as well as the molecular signals underpinning tissue regrowth in regeneration-competent deuterostomes, will provide the foundation for future research in tackling the relatively limited regenerative abilities of vertebrates, with clear applications in regenerative medicine.
Citation
Ferrario , C , Sugni , M , Somorjai , I M L & Ballarin , L 2020 , ' Beyond adult stem cells : dedifferentiation as a unifying mechanism underlying regeneration in invertebrate deuterostomes ' , Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology , vol. 8 , 587320 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.587320
Publication
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2296-634XType
Journal item
Rights
Copyright © 2020 Ferrario, Sugni, Somorjai and Ballarin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Description
This work was partly supported by a grant from the Italian MIUR. Research in the Somorjai lab is supported by the Wellcome Trust ISSF. Research in the Sugni lab is supported by a grant from the University of Milan (Linea 2).Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.