Understanding how stem cells and regeneration work in flatworms
Official title: Stem cell and regeneration regulatory mechanisms in planarians
Funded at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Res · NIH-11124070 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores how certain flatworms can regrow any missing body part, hoping to learn how to help people with tissue damage or diseases like cancer.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $487,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM145345-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11124070 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but aims to benefit individuals with tissue damage, organ failure, or certain diseases like cancer in the long term.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical intervention would not find direct benefit from this basic science research at its current stage.
What this research studies
We are looking at how planarian flatworms, known for their amazing ability to regenerate, control their stem cells to regrow lost body parts, including new heads. By studying these natural processes, we hope to uncover the fundamental rules that allow for such extensive healing. This knowledge could one day lead to new ways to repair damaged tissues or address conditions like cancer in humans. We are particularly interested in how these stem cells make specific choices about what kind of tissue to become during regeneration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this basic understanding of regeneration could pave the way for future therapeutic approaches to repair tissue damage or treat diseases like cancer in humans.
How similar studies have gone: The regenerative powers of planarians have been a subject of investigation for centuries, with extensive prior work establishing them as a classic model for understanding regeneration.
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.