UNF study of tiny brittle stars could help treat injuries in humans – Florida Times-Union

Dr. Vladimir Mashanov, UNF assistant professor of biology, studies organ regeneration in the group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms, which include sea cucumbers and brittle stars -- the two model organisms hes working with. Unlike humans, these animals can regrow almost any part of their body after injury, including major regions of their central nervous system. Even though modern echinoderms and humans dont look similar, they share common evolutionary ancestry. Therefore, there is a good chance that better understanding of the mechanisms that drive rapid post-traumatic regeneration in echinoderms will facilitate development of new, more efficient, therapeutic approaches to treat human injuries, for example, spinal cord injuries. On Tuesday March 14, 2017 Mashanov and one of his undergraduate students pointed out the regenerated growth on several brittle stars, specifically Ophioderma brevispinum, in the research lab on the University of North Florida campus in Jacksonville, Fl. | Buy Photos

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UNF study of tiny brittle stars could help treat injuries in humans - Florida Times-Union