September 17, 2008, Cambridge, UK – Any way you slice it, the planarian's contributions to biological research just keep on growing.
The planarian, a flatworm normally living in freshwater, is well known for its amazing ability to regenerate – a single planarian cut into 200 pieces can generate 200 new individuals. New research now demonstrates that the planarian is not merely a fascinating master of regeneration, but can help scientists understand the basis of human development and disease.
In a new study published in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), dmm.biologists.org, researchers at the University of Utah and the Forsyth Institute at Harvard report that planaria contain a gene highly similar to the human gene PTEN, one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancer. They found that PTEN was present in many planaria cell types, including stem cells. Additionally, disruption of PTEN pathways in the cell resulted in abnormal growths, drastic changes in body shape, and, eventually, death.
This research demonstrates that PTEN is not only important to cell proliferation in mammals. The role of PTEN has been strongly conserved in evolution as planaria PTEN is likewise critical to cell proliferation. Additionally, this work demonstrates that planaria are a new animal model to use in researching the biology of human stem cells and cancer cells.
Commentary on this work by researcher Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado will be featured in the DMM Podcast for issue 2/3 of DMM. Podcasts are available via the DMM website at: dmm.biologists.org.
The report was written by Néstor J. Oviedo and Michael Levin of the Forsyth Institute at Harvard and Bret J. Pearson and Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. The report was published in the September/October issue of a new research journal, Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), published by The Company of Biologists, a non-profit based in Cambridge, UK.
About Disease Models & Mechanisms:
Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) is a new research journal publishing both primary scientific research, as well as review articles, editorials, and research highlights. The journal's mission is to provide a forum for clinicians and scientists to discuss basic science and clinical research related to human disease, disease detection and novel therapies. DMM is published by the Company of Biologists, a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, UK.
The Company also publishes the international biology research journals Development, Journal of Cell Science, and The Journal of Experimental Biology. In addition to financing these journals, the Company provides grants to scientific societies and supports other activities including travelling fellowships for junior scientists, workshops and conferences. The world's poorest nations receive free and unrestricted access to the Company's journals.
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Disease Models & Mechanisms