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The Planarian Regeneration Model as a Context for the Study of Drug Effects and Mechanisms

This chapter appears in the following book:

Planaria: A Model for Drug Action
and Abuse

Edited by: Robert B. Raffa and Scott M. Rawls
ISBN: TBA
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Néstor J. Oviedo and Michael Levin


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A complete understanding of drug effects and the mechanisms of addiction include a molecular characterization of changes in neurotransmitter and ion channel pathways and their consequences for remodeling of the nervous system and the control of adult stem and terminal somatic cell populations. The planarian offers unprecedented advantages in this area because of a powerful suite of physiological, behavioral, cell‑biological and genetic tools, as well as an accessible and plentiful adult stem cell population. Most crucially, planarians possess powerful regenerative abilities, able to restore the entire body (including brain and peripheral nervous systems) from small fragments of the animal. On‑going and future work on the role of ion flows, neurotransmitters and other mechanisms controlling regenerative pattern and adult remodeling will allows insight into the most crucial aspects of drug action on the brain and other organ systems.

Néstor J. Oviedo

Michael Levin
The Forsyth Institute and Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA

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Additional chapters from this book:

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This chapter discusses the quantitative pharmacology of drug combinations for drugs that produce overtly similar effects; more specifically we consider whether a combination of two agonists, or a comb...

The Planarian Regeneration Model as a Context for the Study of Drug Effects and Mechanisms

Néstor J. Oviedo and Michael Levin

A complete understanding of drug effects and the mechanisms of addiction include a molecular characterization of changes in neurotransmitter and ion channel pathways and their consequences for remodel...

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