# The Burmese Python as a Model System for the Study of Metabolism and Organ Regeneration

> **NIH NIH R21** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $147,602

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
In this project, we will study Burmese pythons (BPs), a natural paradigm of rapid, massive, controlled and
recurring organ growth. Several studies have shown that unlike laboratory mammals and humans, the BPs
naturally feed infrequently, and their feeding habits are associated with rapid and massive regulatory
responses and organ growth, which is followed by a postdigestion regression phase. This unique model can
provide valuable insights about the underlying adaptive, beneficial, well-orchestrated growth and regression
cellular regulatory programs and how they differ from the uncontrolled processes of cancer and the various
maladaptive hypertrophic or atrophic disease states. In the proposed studies, we hope to develop a deeper
mechanistic understanding specifically about intestinal adaptation. By studying the growth phase in the
immediate post-feeding period, we can discover those mechanisms that drive the gut and the other organs so
efficiently and rapidly from dormancy to full function. The analysis of the regression phase will provide us with
valuable information about the mechanisms, which may act as a “brake” and halt growth. This project builds
upon and expands our preliminary comparative studies of rodents, pythons and humans, which have revealed
conserved intestinal signatures and key regulatory networks. Comparative studies between species are
powerful and the discovery of common, evolutionary conserved mechanistic targets, processes and pathways
provide further confidence on the significance of the findings. The differences may represent opportunities to
harness, for therapeutic benefits by trying to recapitulate in mammals, for example, the transcriptomic patterns
that are different in BPs. Our data highlight the role of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small non-coding
RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They are excellent candidates for
mediating the plasticity of the intestinal adaptive processes, as they are master regulators of gut homeostasis
and many functions. In addition, because miRNAs can be secreted in the circulation, they are ideally suited to
serve as a mode of communication between the gut and distal tissues. In the first specific aim, we seek to
define a signature of dynamically regulated miRNAs that parallels the growth and regression of the intestine in
BPs and mice. In the second specific aim, we will develop a high-resolution cellular atlas of the intestinal
transcriptomic changes that are associated with the growth-regression cycles in BPs. We propose a novel,
transformative project that brings together cutting-edge technologies, a team of multidisciplinary investigators
and a fascinating new animal model system, which could shift current research paradigms and expand current
research models, because of the numerous scientific and practical advantages it offers. It will enable and set
the foundations for further mechanistic studies, while it will generate unique inf...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10173935
- **Project number:** 5R21OD029996-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Nima Saeidi
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $147,602
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10173935

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10173935, The Burmese Python as a Model System for the Study of Metabolism and Organ Regeneration (5R21OD029996-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10173935. Licensed CC0.

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