Have you ever wished like a lizard or a salamander, you could regrow a lost limb or heal a damaged organ? 🦎 Well, exciting news! Scientists from the Chinese mainland have found a way to help mammals, like us, regenerate damaged tissues!
In a recent study published in the journal Science, researchers discovered a special “switch” in our genes that can turn on the ability to regrow organs. This switch is involved in how our bodies use Vitamin A. By flipping this switch, they were able to help mice and rats regrow ear tissue! 🐭👂
But wait, why is this so cool? Unlike fish or salamanders, mammals usually can’t fully heal big injuries or regrow lost parts. The ear of a mammal is a great place to study this because some animals can regrow ear tissue while others can’t.
“So why can’t humans regrow limbs like some animals do?” you might ask. The scientists found that the gene called Aldh1a2 doesn’t work well in mammals that can’t regenerate. This gene is important because it helps make something called retinoic acid (RA), which is crucial for healing and growth.
By turning on the Aldh1a2 gene or adding more retinoic acid, the researchers helped mice and rats regrow tissue that they normally couldn’t! 🥳 This could mean in the future, doctors might be able to help people heal injuries that were impossible to fix before.
“This discovery gives us a new way to think about healing and could help us find solutions for organs that can’t regrow,” said Wang Wei, the lead scientist from the study.
Isn’t science amazing? Who knows, maybe one day losing a limb won’t be permanent, and we’ll have these brilliant scientists to thank! 🌟
Reference(s):
Chinese scientists find switch for mammal organ regeneration
cgtn.com
