How dead cells are cleared during tissue repair and regeneration
Mechanisms of cell corpse clearance in tissue turnover and regeneration using planarians and zebrafish
This research looks at how tissues remove dying cells after injury to help people with inflammation, autoimmune conditions, or impaired healing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11326298 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use two small animals that regrow body parts—flatworms (planarians) and zebrafish—to see what happens to dying cells in adult tissues. They will label and image dead cells, turn off genes involved in engulfing corpses, and watch how these changes affect inflammation, tissue turnover, and regeneration. By comparing results between the invertebrate planarian and vertebrate zebrafish, they aim to find common mechanisms that could also operate in humans. The team hopes these findings will point to molecular targets for reducing harmful inflammation or improving tissue repair.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory tissue damage, or problems with wound healing could be the most relevant future beneficiaries or candidates for related follow-up studies.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments, or those with conditions not related to tissue turnover or inflammation, are unlikely to directly benefit from this basic animal-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets to reduce inflammation and tissue damage or to improve healing in autoimmune and injury-related conditions.
How similar studies have performed: Efferocytosis pathways are well-described in development and mammalian models, but using planarians and zebrafish to study corpse clearance during adult regeneration is a relatively novel and complementary approach.
Where this research is happening
Portland, United States
- Oregon Health & Science University — Portland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pearson, Bret James — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Pearson, Bret James
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.