The long term aims is to define which molecular pathways have been “lost” in evolution of the regenerative processes. Understanding the ability to regenerate organs and tissues is the long-term goal of research into stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. This is particularly interesting in light of the lack of conservation of regenerative capabilities during evolution: a salamander can regen
erate an amputated limb but a human cannot. In our lab we study two marine organisms that provide experimentally accessible and reliable regenerative potential and can facilitate our understanding of the biology underlying regeneration: (1) colonial ascidians (Tunicate) such as Botryllus schlosseri are the closest relatives to vertebrates that, beside embryogenesis, can adopt distinct developmental pathways to regenerate their entire body, including all somatic tissues and the germline. (2) Using flatworms like Macrostomum lignano (Platyhelminthes) we have the major advantage of already knowing the cellular origin of its regenerative plasticity. Our research aims are to understand the regulation of source of such regenerative plasticity, focusing on the molecules, cells and tissues involved in the early stages of the regenerative processes and to understand patterning and axis formation during regeneration at the molecular and morphological levels, and compare the mechanisms involved with those of embryogenesis. The long term goals are to uncover the source of the regenerative plasticity that characterizes the class of Botryllidae and ultimately to define which molecular pathways have been “lost” in evolution of the regenerative processes. It is also our interest to understand how, in a single organism, the formation of same structures is achieved through morphologically different developmental stages. The latter aspect can provide insights on the plasticity and on the co-option of basic molecular mechanisms involved on body patterning.
