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- Posted Thursday May 5, 2016
TGen-ASU researchers find tiny genetic switches in lizard tail regeneration
Findings from lizards may impact future therapies to regrow organs in humans
PHOENIX, Ariz. - May 5, 2016 - Any kid who
pulls on a lizard tail knows it can drop off to avoid capture, but
how they regrow a new tail remains a mystery. Now,
researchers at theTranslational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Arizona State University
(ASU) have identified tiny RNA switches, known as microRNAs, which
may hold the keys to regenerating muscles, cartilage and spinal
columns.
In a study published today in the scientific journal BMC
Genomics, ASU and TGen scientists for the first time
identified three microRNAs - which turn genes on and off - that are
associated with the regeneration of tails in the green anole
lizard, Anolis carolinensis.
Using next-generation genomic and computer analysis, this
interdisciplinary team of scientists hope their findings, following
nearly 6 years of research, will help lead to discoveries of new
therapeutic approaches to switch on regeneration genes in
humans.
"Since microRNAs are able to control a large number of genes at
the same time, like an orchestra conductor leading the musicians,
we hypothesized that they had to play a role in regeneration," said
senior author Dr. Kenro Kusumi, a Professor in ASU's School of Life
Sciences and Associate Dean in the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, and an adjunct faculty member at TGen. "Our earlier work
found that hundreds of genes are involved in regeneration, and we
are very excited to study these three new microRNAs."
Dr. Elizabeth Hutchins, a Post-Doctoral Fellow in TGen's
Neurogenomics Division, and co-lead author of the study, said she
hopes this investigation eventually enables such things as
regenerating cartilage in knees, repairing spinal cords in accident
victims, and reproducing the muscles of injured war veterans.
"It is the translational nature of this work - how it could
eventually be applied to people - that led to my interest in this
study," said Dr. Hutchins, who graduated from ASU's Molecular and
Cellular Biology Program. "For example, we currently don't have the
ability to regrow knee cartilage, which would really help someone
like my grandmother."
"This work highlights the importance of tiny RNA molecules in the
tissue regeneration process, and showed for the first time an
asymmetric microRNA distribution in different portions of the
regenerating lizard tails," said Dr. Marco Mangone, a co-author and
Assistant Professor with ASU's School of Life Sciences and
Biodesign Institute. "It seems like microRNAs may play an active
role in this process, and are potentially able to shape the
regenerating lizard tail like playdough."
The research team also included: Dr. Justin Wolter of ASU's
Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences; and Dr. Walter
Eckalbar at the University of California, San Francisco.
This research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of
Health and the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission.
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About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org. Follow TGen onFacebook,LinkedInandTwitter @TGen.
About ASU
ASU's School of Life Sciences is an academic unit of the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Arizona State University is the
largest public research university in the United States under a
single administration, with total student enrollment of more than
70,000 in metropolitan Phoenix, the nation's sixth-largest city.
ASU is creating a new model for American higher education, an
unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial
energy and broad access. This New American University is a single,
unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses
positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and
environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is
inspired by real-world application, blurring the boundaries that
traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU champions
intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all
50 states and more than 120 nations.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
TGen
Steve Yozwiak
602-343-8704
[email protected]
ASU School of Life Sciences
Sandy Leander
480-965-9865
[email protected]