Figure 1.

Induced intermediary molecular programs enable regeneration. In regenerating and nonregenerating organisms, injury or damage leads to similar initial events such as inflammation, stress, and wound healing response. There is increasing evidence that regenerating organisms such as zebrafish induce the expression of genes that are functionally essential for regenerative response including the modulation of stem cell plasticity, cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. These genes and pathways constitute the “induced intermediary molecular programs,” which set up the stage for reopening the developmental programs of specification, differentiation, patterning, and morphogenesis. One of the reasons why regeneration is not efficient in mammals could be the lack of activation of these intermediary genes. Therefore, the intermediary molecular programs bear a significant value for translational aspects of regenerative medicine and can be used as biomarkers of plasticity and regenerative ability.