Projekt

Tissue regeneration has been a topic of fascination for thousands of years, but the human ability to regenerate organs is constrained solely to the liver and skin. In contrast, amphibians, our vertebrate relatives, far exceed our regenerative capabilities as they can regrow amputated limbs. This process is regulated by the monocyte and macrophage system of tissue remodelling - a process also used by humans. However, crinoids, our close invertebrate relatives, have an even greater regenerative potential than amphibians as they can replace limbs and even entire organs within a relatively short period of time, and many fold faster than any vertebrate. It is noteworthy that monocyte-macrophage-like cells have also been identified in these marine animals. The project team hypothesises that this monocyte-macrphage system plays a pivotal role in the rapid regeneration processes observed in crinoids. The objective of this project is to elucidate the distinctive regenerative capacity of crinoids, with a specific focus on the function of their monocyte-macrophage-like cells, compare them to the human system, and modulate the reprogramming of human monocytes/macrophages. Should this approach prove successful, it could pave the way for future cell-based therapies that enable the regeneration of various tissues and organs.

• Dr. Angela Stevenson

  GEOMAR - Helmholtz-Zentrum für
  Ozeanforschung Kiel
  Forschungsbereich Marine Ökologie
  Marine Evolutionsökologie
  Kiel
  

• Dr. Karina Zitta, Ph.D.

  Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein
  Campus Kiel
  Anaesthesiologie und Intensivmedizin
  Kiel