Potworm (Enchytraeus japonensis) as a potential platform for drug screening in regenerative medicine

Abstract

Regenerative medicine holds substantial promise for restoring the function of damaged or lost organs and tissues. However, the development of effective small-molecule drugs in this field has been limited, partially owing to the lack of suitable regenerative animal models for drug discovery. Enchytraeus japonensis, a small annelid with exceptional regenerative capacity, is emerging as a valuable model for regeneration research. E. japonensis regenerates in a shorter period, in only 4 days, than other major regenerative animal models. Moreover, novel experimental systems have recently been developed to enhance the utility of E. japonensis, including a soaking RNA interference system for easy, non-invasive gene knockdown, an imaging system for quantifying cell distribution in the blastema, and soaking-based pharmacological inhibition using small-molecule compounds. This review highlights E. japonensis as a potential platform for chemical screening in regenerative medicine.