The Planarian Model in Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 7
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The main biological claim to fame of freshwater planarians and related flatworms is the fact that some species display an uncanny capacity for regeneration, including the complete (and correct) regeneration of their relatively complex nervous system. Planarians have been used to test a variety of chemical compounds since at least the 18th century. However, arguably the systematic study of the pharmacology of planarians began in the 1970s with the studies of Drs. G. Palladini, A. Carolei, G. Venturini, and their colleagues at the University of Rome, Italy, in the context of the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems and eventually, on the effects of the abused drug, cocaine, in this organism. Since then, the planarian pharmacology field has blossomed, alongside the use of planarians in scientific fields like toxicology and neurobiology, establishing planarians as mainstream animal models beyond regenerative and developmental biology. In this Special Issue, we are pleased to present a sample of cutting-edge research showcasing the application of the planarian model in pharmacology, toxicology, and neuroscience.
Prof. Dr. Oné R. Pagán
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- planarians
- pharmacology
- toxicology
- neuroscience
- neurotransmission
- regeneration
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