الخميس, أكتوبر 19th 2023
Swiss researchers have deciphered the mechanism behind the self-healing powers of axolotls.
The salamanders can regrow lost limbs and organs. According to the new study, the process is more complex than previously thought. The findings, published in the journal Science Communications, have far-reaching implications for regenerative medicine in humans, according to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). They provide insights into the potential regrowth of limbs in mammals.
In vertebrates, the so-called “apical ectodermal ridge” (AER) plays an important role in the development of limbs. The apical ectodermal ridge is a thin layer of cells at the limb bud of the embryo during its early development. It controls growth by sending signals to the underlying tissues.
Previous studies, according to researchers from EPFL and the Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden), could not clearly determine whether axolotls also use AER cells to regrow their limbs. According to the new study, axolotl limbs do not produce complete AER cells during regeneration. The study showed that the axolotl uses parts of the basic AER development program for limbs – like other species – but they are distributed across different cell types.
“Although it was previously assumed that there is a universal method for limb regeneration, our results point to a more complex reality,” wrote Jixing Zhong, the lead author of the study, in the EPFL statement.
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