blastemalike

Blastemalike is a descriptive term used in developmental and regenerative biology to refer to cells or tissues that resemble a blastema, a mass of proliferating, relatively undifferentiated cells capable of giving rise to new tissues during regeneration. The label is applied when a population at an injury site demonstrates blastema-like properties but does not necessarily form a classical, well-organized blastema.

Core features commonly associated with blastemalike states include:

- Proliferation and maintenance of an undifferentiated, progenitor-like state

- Dedifferentiation or reprogramming of mature cells toward a more plastic state

- Expression of stem or progenitor cell markers and activation of regeneration-associated signaling pathways

- Potential to differentiate into multiple lineages relevant to the regenerating tissue

Occurrence and examples:

Blastemalike responses have been reported in several vertebrate models of regeneration, such as limb and fin regeneration in amphibians and fish. In mammals, blastemalike activity may occur after certain injuries, but a fully formed blastema is generally not observed; researchers study blastemalike programs to understand how to induce more complete regenerative healing.

Relation to blastema and significance:

Blastemalike describes a cellular state rather than a defined tissue architecture. Understanding blastemalike programs can inform regenerative medicine and cancer biology by clarifying how dedifferentiation and proliferative plasticity are regulated during repair and regeneration.

See also:

Blastema; Regeneration; Dedifferentiation; Regenerative medicine