July 2, 2009 Scientists on Wednesday shed light on how the salamander, one of nature's great oddities, is able to regrow an amputated leg. The insight may one day help researchers to replicate the achievement among people, they hope. All living creatures have the ability to regrow some part or parts of their body, but the salamander tops the list for regenerative agility. Mammals like us can regenerate skin or fuse broken bones back together, but salamanders can replace a lost limb in a few weeks, regrow damaged lungs, mend a severed spinal cord and even replenish lost chunks of brain. Until now, biologists pondering the little amphibian's trick have generally surmised it uses "pluripotent" cells, which charge into action at the point of amputation, called a blastema. Pluripotent cells are spectacularly versatile cells that, like human embryonic stem cells, are somehow coaxed by chemical signals into differentiating into the specific tissues that make up skin, bone, nerves, muscle and so on. Related Content:
But in a paper released by the British journal Nature, scientists from the United States and Germany say the regrowth appears to happen through more humdrum, tissue-specific cells -- and this is good news. The seven researchers first took axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum), a species native to Mexico that is widely used as a model for vertebrate development, and genetically modified them. They added a gene from a fluorescent jellyfish that is commonly used as a telltale in lab experiments. Cells that carry the gene glow a livid green under ultraviolet, thus giving researchers an immediate indication of the cells' origin and progression. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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