Karolinska Institutet (KI)
Stockholm, Sweden
Project description
Limb regeneration in newts represents a unique example for how a complex body part can be rebuilt in vertebrates. Regeneration starts by rapid wound healing, followed by formation of a mesenchymal growth zone, called the blastema from which the new appendage originates. Blastema cells are generated from local stump tissues during which process several cell types undergo reprogramming. The focus of the project is to understand the molecular underpinnings of such reprogramming events with particular focus on the role of a group of miRNAs that bear the characteristic embryonic stem cell-specific cell cycle regulating seed and are regulated during limb regeneration. Of particular interest is whether and how these miRNAs regulate the dedifferentiation of terminally differentiated cells, which is a distinctive feature of newt limb regeneration.
Doctoral Candidate
Jesus Sanchez
Hi! My name is Jesus, and I am originally from Spain. I graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Edinburgh. Following that, I pursued a master’s degree in Stem Cell Biology at the University of Cambridge, which I recently completed this October. My master’s project focused on studying the role of endothelial cell dysfunction in Marfan Syndrome (MFS)-related TAAD, using an iPSC-based model of MFS under the supervision of Professor Sanjay Sinha at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. Throughout both my undergraduate and master’s studies, I developed a deep interest in regenerative medicine and am eager to further explore this field. As part of the REGENERATE-IT program, I will be joining Professor András Simon’s Lab at the Karolinska Institutet, where I will work on Project 6, using the newt as an animal model to functionally characterize the regulation of small RNAs and their targets during limb regeneration. In my free time, I enjoy doing various sports as well as hiking, weather permitting 🙂
Principal Investigator
András Simon, Ph.D.
Professor
Tel: +46-(0)8-524 870 20
Email: andras.simon@ki.se
ORCID: 0000-0002-1018-1891
Research in Simon’s group:
We try to understand regeneration mechanisms in newts, which are semiaquatic salamanders, and have the widest repertoire of regenerative abilities among vertebrates. We use several experimental paradigms divided into two main themes: Central nervous system and limb regeneration.
For more information, please visit:
Lab page
For complete publication list, please see:
Google Scholar profile.
Karolinska Institutet
Karolinska Institutet (KI) is one of the world’s foremost medical universities. Karolinska Institutet is Sweden’s single largest centre of medical academic research and offers the country’s widest range of medical courses and programmes. The research group is at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), comprising 30 independent research groups organized in three themes: Cell Biology, Developmental and Stem Cell Biology and Infection and Cancer. The research group is located in Biomedicum which harbors 5 preclinical departments with state of the art core facilities.