The ability to grow a replacement tail or limb, present in some species of amphibians such as salamanders and newts, has been lost in vertebrates. Earlier this year, scientists from the Wistar Institute and Washington University showed that mice lacking…
Blog Archives
Repairing the Damage
Although some species of amphibians – such as salamanders and newts – are able to regenerate lost or damaged tissue, the capacity for regeneration diminished as vertebrates evolved and adult mammals generally have limited regenerative capacity. Over a decade ago,…
New Hope for Damaged Hearts
A number of organs, including the heart, have limited regenerative powers, but US scientists have now shown that fully differentiated cardiac muscle cells can be induced to proliferate and regenerate. Writing in the journal Cell, they show that the growth…
Mending a Broken Heart
Heart disease is a leading cause of death and illness in the developed world and, once damaged, the heart has very limited capacity for regeneration. Following a heart attack, if blood flow is not restored to the heart muscle within…
Boost for Stem Cells
A new discovery increases the likelihood that treatments could eventually boost specific subtypes of stem cells, and promote self healing following injury or disease. In response to tissue injury or disease, progenitor cells are mobilised from bone marrow into the…
