Salamander gene could hold the key to regrowing human limbs
The skin over a fresh wound might not look like much. In some animals, though, that thin covering becomes command central for rebuilding what was lost. That idea sits at the heart of new research on axolotls, zebrafish, and mice, three species that are very different on the surface but share part of the same genetic machinery when they regenerate damaged body parts. By tracing that overlap, scientists say they have found an early clue toward a gene therapy strategy that might someday help people regrow complex tissues after injury. “This significant research brought together three labs, working across three organisms to compare regeneration,” said Josh Currie, an assistant professor of biology at Wake Forest whose lab studies the Mexican axolotl salamander. “It showed us that there are universal, unifying genetic programs that are driving regeneration in very different types of organisms, salamanders, zebrafish and mice.” The work brought together Currie, Duke University plastic surgeon David A. Brown, and Kenneth D. Poss of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their shared target was limb and appendage regeneration, …
