Understanding how planarians regenerate body parts
Official title: Stem cell and regeneration regulatory mechanisms in planarians
Funded at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res · NIH-10879025 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring how planarians, a type of flatworm that can regrow lost body parts, use special stem cells to decide what to regenerate, which could help us learn more about healing and regeneration in humans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | July 21, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $487,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM145345-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10879025 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for benefiting from this research include individuals with conditions that involve tissue damage or loss, such as injuries or degenerative diseases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with stable, non-regenerative conditions or those who do not experience tissue loss may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the mechanisms behind the remarkable ability of planarians, a type of flatworm, to regenerate lost body parts. By studying the adult stem cells known as neoblasts, which play a crucial role in this regeneration process, the research aims to uncover how these cells make decisions about what type of tissue to regenerate. The approach involves detailed experimentation to observe how different injuries trigger specific regenerative responses, potentially leading to insights that could inform regenerative medicine in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for repairing tissue damage in humans.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research on planarian regeneration has shown promising results, indicating that understanding these mechanisms could lead to significant advancements in regenerative medicine.
Where this research is happening
-
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reddien, Peter — Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res
- Study coordinator: Reddien, Peter
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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.