Scientists from the University of Vienna have made a groundbreaking discovery in their study of the scarlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis). The team found possible multipotent stem cells in the anemone, which could be key to understanding how these creatures can successfully fight against aging.
The scarlet sea anemone is a member of the Cnidaria phylum, known for its full-body regenerative abilities. In fact, some animals in this phylum are functionally immortal. The study’s findings suggest that these stem cells allow cnidarians to continually “drink from the fountain of youth,” as it were.
In humans, stem cells are essential for limited regeneration of certain cells in our body. However, other animals display much greater, whole-body regenerative abilities compared to us. The University of Vienna’s Ulrich Technau and his team used a new method called single-cell genomics to hunt down these missing stem cells. They were able to identify a large population of cells that form differentiated cells such as nerve cells and glandular cells.
The study also looked at highly-conserved genes, nanos and piwi, which are involved in stem cell differentiation and gametogenesis. When the team mutated the nanos2 gene using CRISPR gene scissors, they discovered that this protein was necessary for forming germ cells and somatic cells.
This breakthrough discovery paves the way for future studies into the mechanisms that make cnidarians adept fighters against aging. As one researcher noted, “We have now been able to identify a large population of cells in the sea anemone that form differentiated cells such as nerve cells and glandular cells and are therefore candidates for multipotent stem cells.”
Source: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a62057403/sea-anemone-immortal/