Modeling regenerative processes with membrane computing

Understanding the remarkable ability of some organisms to restore their anatomical shape following the amputation of large parts of their bodies is currently a major unsolved question in regenerative biology and biomedicine. Despite rapid advances in the molecular processes required for regeneration, a systems level, algorithmic understanding of this process has remained elusive. For this reason, the field needs new computational paradigms to help model the flow of information during regeneration. Membrane computing is a branch of natural computing that studies the properties and applications of theoretical computing devices known as P systems. These systems are an abstraction of the structure and functioning of a living cell, as well as its organization in tissues. Here, we propose a model of regenerative processes in planarian worms based on P systems, which recapitulates several aspects of regenerative pattern regulation. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to apply a novel computational framework to help understand pattern regulation in regenerative biology. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.