Project R-8319

Planarians activate their regenerative power to circumvent cancer: the meaning of stem cell potency and its micro-environment (Research)

Regenerating tissues and organisms can circumvent the development of cancer. Regeneration induces stem cell proliferation, differentiation and migration to fully repair and regrow lost tissue. Whereas these processes are meticulously regulated during regeneration, the same processes are observed during carcinogenesis, yet their uncontrolled execution leads to malignant transformations. Pinpointing the underlying mechanisms as to how regeneration can control and even circumvent tumorigenesis, holds valuable information. I will investigate this linkage between regeneration and avoidance of cancer in Schmidtea mediterranea, a fresh-water planarian possessing the capacity to regenerate its entire body, which is attributed to a large pool of adult pluripotent stem cells. This planarian offers the opportunity to study the capacities of these stem cells and their niche in an in vivo system. It is hypothesized that the interplay between stem cells, their characteristics and their niche determines how this organism can successfully regenerate and circumvent tumorigenesis. Within this context, this project focuses on (1) the role of stem cell potency and their consequently characteristics and differentiation processes, and (2) ROS as modulators (upstream signals) of these stem cell responses during carcinogenic exposure. By combining an in vivo and in vitro approach, it is aimed to fully characterize the linkage between stem cell potency, differentiation status and ROS signaling.

01 October 2017 - 30 September 2019