Secrets of Regeneration May Mimic Cancer
Hydra Uses Invading Stem Cells to Regrow Nerve Cells
The tiny aquatic hydra looks fragile at first glance, with tentacles that are slender and translucent. But if you cut it in half, each fragment regenerates into a complete new animal. Scientists studying this amazing feat have discovered a surprising detail: to trigger healing, specialized cells first have to invade the wound in a manner similar to what cancer cells do as they spread through the body.
To facilitate that invasion, “the hydra actually breaks down a collagen layer that normally supports its body,” said Ben Cox, who performed this research while a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. Tearing holes in this protective barrier allows stem cells to pass through it, so they can replace nerves and other cells on the other side, according to the new study, published in the journal Development.
Understanding how this happens could help scientists improve wound healing in humans – encouraging the regrowth of normal tissue, while avoiding scar tissue that impedes healing. The discovery could also shed light on other aspects of human biology.