Investigating the effect of thyroid hormone on brain regeneration in zebrafish

• Applicant: Dr. Ruiqi Liu
• Subject Area: Developmental Neurobiology ; Developmental Biology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 545664133

Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of disability or death in humans, since mammals lack the capability to extensively regenerate missing neurons. In contrast, zebrafish have an extensive capability to regenerate, and can recover from the injury without scarring. In many brain regions, radial glia cells act as adult neural stem cells that are activated and undergo proliferation and reactive neurogenesis upon brain lesion. However, the underlying mechanisms of this process are not fully understood. Thyroid hormone regulates embryonic brain development and controls adult neurogenesis during homeostasis. It can regulate regeneration in several organs, but its function in brain regeneration after traumatic injury is as yet unclear. Preliminary data of the hosting lab show that thyroid hormone signaling may be involved in the adult brains’ regenerative response, and may regulate induction of radial glia proliferation in zebrafish. I propose to investigate the role of thyroid hormone in radial glia proliferation and reactive neurogenesis in zebrafish, and in murine astrocytes in comparison. This work will lead us to understand if thyroid hormone signal is functionally required and potentially sufficient for brain regeneration in zebrafish, and may suggest therapeutic avenues towards brain regeneration in mammals.

• DFG Programme: WBP Position