a) Maintenance versus differentiation
Recently, we undertook an unbiased search for genes that could be fundamental for stem cell biology. By using a custom-made oligonucleotide microarray chip, we identified several neoblast specific genes and, at the moment, we are analyzing in vivo their role by RNAi.

b) Neoblast and their microenvironment
We found that in planarians treated with sub-lethal X-ray doses (5 Gy), few neoblasts resist and reacquire proliferation activity and stemness, following the release of nervous factors. So, 5 Gy-treated planarians are a good model system to study in vivo the relationship between nervous system and adult stem cells proliferation, homing and differentiation. Therefore, we are focusing on the role of nervous signals in modulating stem cell properties and regeneration. In particular, we intend to identify the nervous factors involved in stem cell repopulation and to study their role in vivo.

Web site http://salvetti.med.unipi.it/Home.html

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