# A Single cell expression atlas of muscle and dermis during regeneration after wounding in Acomys cahirinus - an adult mammal model for de novo muscle regeneration

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2020 · $190,625

## Abstract

Abstract:
It is of major significance that we have discovered that during complete skin regeneration in the spiny mouse,
Acomys, the skeletal muscle of the lower layers of the skin are regenerated despite the removal of all the
connective tissue components of this tissue. This is in contrast to humans and the lab mouse, Mus, where the
skin fibroses with a scar and no muscle is regenerated. The medical importance of this observation for both
civilians and soldiers is profound because Acomys can also perfectly regenerate damage through the middle of
a muscle belly. We propose here to take our recent microarray, qPCR and RNA-seq analysis of whole skin
regeneration to the single cell level with single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-seq) so that gene regulation patterns of
the individual tissue components which make up the regenerating skin can be identified. This project will
develop and utilize immunophenotyping panels and comprehensive single cell gene expression assays
scRNA-Seq to resolve expression of individual cells and assess changes in tissue cell sub-populations across
time between the Mus (scarring) and Acomys (regenerating). The outcome of this project is to identify the gene
regulatory networks which characterize individual populations in a regenerating environment in contrast to a
scarring environment, and to provide this as a resource to the regenerative medicine community. Future
directions will be centered on functionally testing crucial genes for their ability to induce regeneration (hair
follicles, sebaceous glands, skeletal muscle) in lieu of scarring with clear implications for its extrapolation to the
human condition.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984558
- **Project number:** 5R21OD028209-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** William B Barbazuk
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $190,625
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984558

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984558, A Single cell expression atlas of muscle and dermis during regeneration after wounding in Acomys cahirinus - an adult mammal model for de novo muscle regeneration (5R21OD028209-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984558. Licensed CC0.

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