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The axolotl, or Mexican salamander has the astonishing ability to regenerate limbs and even spinal cord if it has been injured.
But now a new study by the University of Minnesota in the US has discovered how the animals achieve the feat, and how humans may be able to replicate the same process.
When an axolotl suffers a spinal cord injury, nearby cells called glial cells begin proliferating rapidly, repositioning themselves to rebuild the connections between nerves and reconnect the injured spinal cord.
By contrast, when a human suffers a spinal cord injury, the glial cells form scar tissue, which blocks nerves from ever reconnecting with each other. |
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The US team discovered that a particular protein called c-Fos - which is carried by both salamanders and humans - is crucial for the regeneration process. However in humans the protein is prevented from working by another family of proteins known as Juns, which trigger scar tissue formation.
Scientists are hopeful that if they can now create a drug to switch off the Jun proteins, allowing the glial cells to grow back the spinal cord.
"Humans have very limited capacity for regeneration, while other species like salamanders have the remarkable ability to functionally regenerate limbs, heart tissue and even the spinal cord after injury," said lead researcher Dr Karen Echeverri, assistant professor in the department of genetics, cell biology and development at the University of Minnesota. |
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