Mechanisms of Tissue Regeneration

Many organisms possess a remarkable ability to repair and regenerate damaged organs and tissues. This course will explore the cellular and developmental mechanisms used to achieve regeneration. Students will learn the basic developmental and cellular mechanisms underlying the original formation of organs during normal development and how these mechanisms are modified during the regenerative process. The course will also consider how our expanding knowledge of regeneration mechanisms could be used to promote medically useful regeneration in humans. The course will involve extensive reading and analysis of primary literature. Prerequisites: BIO 86 (BIO 160 or BIO 158 recommended).