Maristem—Stem Cells of Marine/Aquatic Invertebrates: From Basic Research to Innovative Applications

Beyond Adult Stem Cells: Dedifferentiation as a Unifying Mechanism Underlying Regeneration in Invertebrate Deuterostomes

“…This is compounded by the sheer diversity of models being used for regeneration studies and the difficulty in acquiring funding for basic research on "weird animals". However, sharing of knowledge and resources across the stem cell community, facilitated by initiatives such as the EU Horizon 2020 COST Action 16203 "MARISTEM" (Ballarin et al, 2018) will pave the way for more rapid uptake and development of the tools required to answer fundamental questions about stem cell biology in our closest living relatives.…”

“…These include whole body regeneration (see below), or the presence of unique "stemness" systems, with stem cells spread throughout the body and not necessarily restricted to defined niches (Sköld et al, 2009). In addition, invertebrates continue to reveal unexpected gene regulatory pathways of great interest for regenerative biology (Ballarin et al, 2018).…”

Stem Cells and Innate Immunity in Aquatic Invertebrates: Bridging Two Seemingly Disparate Disciplines for New Discoveries in Biology

“…Aquatic invertebrates represent the great majority of animal biodiversity and are an extremely promising group of organisms for stem cells and immune research. They can benefit from a more straightforward body organization, the abundance of adult stem cells spread throughout the body, and the lack of a complex immune network by lacking an adaptive immunity ( 8 ). Therefore, they represent ideal organisms to study the interplay between stem and immune cells.…”

“…Hematopoiesis is the driver for generating circulating immune cells able to face non-self and, in vertebrates, it has been the subject of intensive research by immunologists and stem cell biologists ( 9 , 10 ). Conversely, in the majority of aquatic invertebrates, stem cell origin has not yet been adequately explored, while the immune response has been further confirmed as a relevant endpoint in ecological risk assessment of both legacy and emerging contaminants ( 8 , 11 ).…”

“…In the present review, we will focus on the relationships between stem cells and the immune system in aquatic invertebrates, compared to vertebrates. We will highlight some selected examples stemming from the established collaboration within the MARISTEM COST Action ( 8 ). The introduction of modern techniques in biological research allows us to discuss new tools and frontiers in biological research aimed to study the links between stem and immune cells.…”