Innate immune system and tissue regeneration in planarians: an area ripe for exploration

T Harshani Peiris; Katrina K Hoyer; Néstor J Oviedo

doi:10.1016/j.smim.2014.06.005

Innate immune system and tissue regeneration in planarians: an area ripe for exploration

Semin Immunol. 2014 Aug;26(4):295-302. doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2014.06.005. Epub 2014 Jul 28.

Authors

T Harshani Peiris¹, Katrina K Hoyer², Néstor J Oviedo³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA.
² Department of Molecular Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA. Electronic address: khoyer2@ucmerced.edu.
³ Department of Molecular Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California at Merced, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA. Electronic address: noviedo2@ucmerced.edu.

Abstract

The immune system has been implicated as an important modulator of tissue regeneration. However, the mechanisms driving injury-induced immune response and tissue repair remain poorly understood. For over 200 years, planarians have been a classical model for studies on tissue regeneration, but the planarian immune system and its potential role in repair is largely unknown. We found through comparative genomic analysis and data mining that planarians contain many potential homologs of the innate immune system that are activated during injury and repair of adult tissues. These findings support the notion that the relationship between adult tissue repair and the immune system is an ancient feature of basal Bilateria. Further analysis of the planarian immune system during regeneration could potentially add to our understanding of how the innate immune system and inflammatory responses interplay with regenerative signals to induce scar-less tissue repair in the context of the adult organism.

Keywords: Innate immunity; Planarian; Regeneration; Wound repair.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Biological Evolution
Immune System
Immunity, Innate
Planarians / immunology*
Planarians / physiology*
Regeneration

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding