This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The human brain is terrible at healing itself from injury or disease. But some animals can harness their own cellular abilities not only to repair injuries but also to regrow their brains entirely.
Researchers from the University of Georgia have pinpointed several of the genes that make brain regeneration possible in one type of flatworm. "Big picture: We would like to come up with ideas for how to better empower the human brain to regenerate itself," said Rachel Roberts-Galbraith, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "The understanding of brain regeneration that we can develop using simple animals gives us a reason to be optimistic.
It's not an inherent property of brains that makes them bad at regeneration. It's something specific to humans." Flatworm and human brains are both made up of networks of specialized cells called neurons. These cells communicate with each other by sending electrical or chemical signals.
Some neurons react to stimuli, such as light or touch, while others control movement. Flatworms use stem cells to replace neurons after injury. Humans also have stem cells, but they are unable to transform into new neurons effectively enough to heal injuries.
The new study sheds light on how shared genes work in flatworms and lays the groundwork for researchers to investigate similar pathways that might be activated in humans to design better therapies for traumatic brain injuries or diseases. Planarians can be found in freshwater, saltwater and even on land. They don't have circulatory or respiratory systems.
But they do have stem cells that can change into whatever their body needs at a given time, making them valuable animals for brain and cognitive research. Using stem cells, planarians can regrow their entire body from just a sliver of a body fragment. They can rebuild tissues, muscles and even their brains.
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