Cellular Aspects of Intestinal Regeneration

Our laboratory has pioneered the use of the echinoderm Holothuria glaberrima to study the process of regeneration and organogenesis. Our research focuses on the cellular aspects of regeneration, specifically on the cell types that are important for the regeneration process to occur. The long-term goal of our laboratory is to characterize the stem cells or progenitor cells for the new organ and determine the steps by which these cells differentiate to acquire their new phenotypes. We have already identified and characterized several cellular processes involved in Holothurian intestinal regeneration that include cell proliferation, apoptosis, de-differentiation, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and extracellular matrix remodeling.