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Review
. 2023 Sep 18;44(5):981-992.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.044.

The known, unknown, and unknown unknowns of cell-cell communication in planarian regeneration

Jia-Jia Chen  1   2   3 , Kai Lei  2   4
Affiliations
Review

The known, unknown, and unknown unknowns of cell-cell communication in planarian regeneration

Jia-Jia Chen et al. Zool Res. .

Abstract
in English, Chinese

Planarians represent the most primitive bilateral triploblastic animals. Most planarian species exhibit mechanisms for whole-body regeneration, exemplified by the regeneration of their cephalic ganglion after complete excision. Given their robust whole-body regeneration capacity, planarians have been model organisms in regenerative research for more than 240 years. Advancements in research tools and techniques have progressively elucidated the mechanisms underlying planarian regeneration. Accurate cell-cell communication is recognized as a fundamental requirement for regeneration. In recent decades, mechanisms associated with such communication have been revealed at the cellular level. Notably, stem cells (neoblasts) have been identified as the source of all new cells during planarian homeostasis and regeneration. The interplay between neoblasts and somatic cells affects the identities and proportions of various tissues during homeostasis and regeneration. Here, this review outlines key discoveries regarding communication between stem cell compartments and other cell types in planarians, as well as the impact of communication on planarian regeneration. Additionally, this review discusses the challenges and potential directions of future planarian research, emphasizing the sustained impact of this field on our understanding of animal regeneration.

涡虫是最原始的两侧对称三胚层动物。大多数涡虫物种保留了全身再生机制；例如，它们可以实现完全切除的脑神经节的再生。这种强大的全身再生能力使涡虫成为240多年来再生研究的模式生物。随着新开发的工具和技术的应用，涡虫再生的奥秘逐渐被揭开。精确的细胞间通讯一直被认为是再生的先决条件。近几十年来，在细胞水平上发现了相关的机制。在涡虫维持稳态和再生过程中，干细胞是所有新生细胞的来源。干细胞和体细胞之间的相互作用影响着各种组织在稳态和再生过程中的特性和比例。在这里，我们回顾了科学家们试图了解涡虫干细胞和其他细胞类型之间的通信，以及通信对涡虫再生的影响的研究发现。我们还强调了涡虫研究的挑战和未来方向，这一领域一直为动物再生提供有价值的知识。.

Keywords: Cell communication; Planarians; Regeneration; Stem cells.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Key milestones in the history of planarian regeneration studies
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diagrams showing planarian positional information at different levels
Figure 3
Figure 3
Regulation of neoblast specification
Figure 4
Figure 4
Molecular regulation of planarian asexual reproduction and growth
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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