Researchers at the University of Georgia have pinpointed genes that allow a species of flatworm to regrow its brain, a discovery that could point the way toward new treatments for traumatic brain injuries and neurological diseases.
The study, published in Nature Communications, found nearly a dozen genes that instruct stem cells in planarians to become dopamine-producing neurons and guide those cells to the right places in the body. Planarians can regenerate tissues, muscles and even an entire brain from a small body fragment.
When the team disabled some of the genes, the worms had trouble producing the neurons and moved more slowly, similar to the effects of low dopamine in people and other mammals. Humans also have stem cells, but they cannot become new neurons effectively enough to repair brain injuries.
"It's not an inherent property of brains that makes them bad at regeneration," said corresponding author Rachel Roberts-Galbraith. "It's something specific to humans."
Her team hopes the findings will help scientists develop dopamine-producing neurons that can be transplanted into patients with conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
