Mammals can regenerate tissues too!

Have you ever considered how cool it is that lizards can re-grow their tails? Wouldn't it be awesome if you could re-grow your arm if you needed to (say after an unfortunate quidditch match)? Well, although the recent report by Ashley Seifert and colleagues in Nature doesn't claim to be able to re-grow human limbs, it does suggest promise in the area of regeneration of mammalian tissues.

                In the September 27^th issue of Nature, Seifert and colleagues report that African Spiny Mice (genus Acomys) are capable of skin and cartilage regeneration. You may be thinking “so what? When I cut my arm, my skin regrows. No big deal” and in a way you are right. The difference is subtle but essential. When you get a cut, your skin undergoes a process called wound healing, which involves development of scar tissue. Seifert found that laboratory mice (genus Mus) undergo a wound healing and scaring process as well. The African Spiny Mice, however, do not develop scar tissue, but rather a distinct regeneration of new skin tissue, including hair follicles, and adipose (fat) tissue. In fact, when the injury occurs on the ear, the African Spiny Mouse can even regenerate the cartilage of the ear.

                This paper provides evidence that some mammals have the ability to regenerate tissues. Additional evidence also suggests that lab mice can begin the regeneration process but are not able to maintain it. This raises the possibility that lab mice (and perhaps even humans) have an intrinsic ability to regenerate, but may require additional direction (perhaps by factors not expressed in adult tissues) to do so. The most important implication of this research is stated clearly by the authors “[African Spiny Mice]…provides an idea model system in which to examine epimorphic regeneration in mammals.”

Paper referenced: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v489/n7417/full/nature11499.html

Post Authored by Sally