![]() ![]() “Based on these results, we propose that hemichordates may have co-opted these reprogramming factors for their extensive regeneration, or that chordates may have lost the ability to mobilize these factors in response to damage,” Tagawa said. Tagawa’s team observed several unique genes expressed in the acorn worms during head regeneration not seen in chordates and other higher-order vertebrates. “Since there are no known vertebrates able to regenerate their whole-body, better understanding how the acorn worm achieves this feat drawing on reprogramming gene networks could hold keys toward future advances in regenerative medicine for humans,” Tagawa said. In biology, reprogramming factors refer to molecules or proteins that can trigger cells to become any type of cells. The team published their findings on February 15 in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. The acorn worms utilize pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming factors to regenerate their head or body, according to lead author Kunifumi Tagawa, an associate professor and director with the Marine Biological Laboratory at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life. ![]() Commonly known as the Acorn Worm, the animal shares evolutionary roots with chordates and mammals that can be traced back from the most advanced vertebrates, including humans. A group of Japanese and American researchers found that the Ptychodera flava, a worm-like marine organism capable of regenerating its entire head or body, draws on reprogramming-based mechanisms that help somatic cells in higher-order animals branch out into complete body parts. ![]()
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