Characterizing radial glia-like cells and their involvement in nervous system regeneration

University Of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, San Juan PR

Investigators

Abstract

This project explores how certain animals can naturally repair their nervous systems, with the goal of uncovering biological principles that explain how some organisms can recover from injuries to their nervous system while others cannot. The researchers are studying sea cucumbers—marine animals with an extraordinary ability to regenerate their nervous system without scarring. The focus is on a special group of cells in the adult nervous system called radial glia-like cells, which appear to play a key role in the regeneration process. By understanding how these cells work in sea cucumbers, scientists hope to gain insights into how the nervous system can repair itself. This knowledge could eventually inform medical advances in regenerative medicine and neurobiology and might one day help humans recover from brain or spinal cord injuries. The project also has strong educational and societal impacts: it actively involves undergraduate and graduate students in research, provides training opportunities for teachers, and creates hands-on science experiences for high school students. In doing so, the project not only advances scientific understanding but also promotes access to science education. This project aims to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which radial glia-like cells (RGLCs) contribute to central nervous system (CNS) regeneration in adult echinoderms, using Holothuria glaberrima as a model organism. Echinoderms occupy a key phylogenetic position as deuterostomes and exhibit robust regenerative capabilities, including adult neurogenesis and scar-free CNS regeneration. The research will focus on three main objectives: (1) molecular characterization of RGLCs in the echinoderm CNS, (2) identification of genes involved in RGLC dedifferentiation and proliferation during injury response, and (3) dissection of the signaling pathways that orchestrate RGLC-mediated regeneration. Methods will include transcriptomic profiling, gene expression analysis via in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, and functional assays using pharmacological and gene knockdown approaches. By addressing the cellular and genetic regulation of RGLCs, this work will contribute to the broader understanding of the evolution and mechanisms of regenerative neurobiology across species. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.