Humans have always been fascinated with the salamander's ability to regenerate lost limbs. Now scientists studying salamander genes have discovered that the process isn't quite as complicated as once thought.
Researchers are hopeful, but also aware that early experiments in replicating this cell process can lead to uncontrolled growth, meaning cancers. Link
By tracking individual cells in genetically modified salamanders, researchers have found an unexpected explanation for their seemingly magical ability to regrow lost limbs.
Rather than having their cellular clocks fully reset and reverting to an embryonic state, cells in the salamanders’ stumps became slightly less mature versions of the cells they’d been before. The findings could inspire research into human tissue regeneration.
“The cells don’t have to step as far back as we thought they had to, in order to regenerate a complicated thing like a limb,” said study co-author Elly Tanaka, a Max Planck Institute cell biologist. “There’s a higher chance that human or mammalian cells can be induced into doing the same thing.”
Researchers are hopeful, but also aware that early experiments in replicating this cell process can lead to uncontrolled growth, meaning cancers. Link
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Well, you may laugh but the truth is that President Obama was writing and speaking about these kinds of scientific discoveries as far back as 2007. I do not think it is a coincidence that he would be calling for the liberation of science at just the moment that scientists would be free to discover such things. And for the comment that this was in Germany, Hello, the internet can carry President Obama's message of allowing scientists to think for themselves to all the world.
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@Him: the article you refer to mentions Tanaka's studies with the axolotl, but not the results, seeing as these were only provided recently. At that time the studies were still underway at the Max-Planck institute, until they were further funded by the CRT. The studies themselves were first mentioned in the European press (Spiegel) on the 03.08.2004 (08.03.2004 for all using the US date format).
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what about growing replacements for diseased organs?
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This was in "Scientific American" a year ago, in the April issue, page 56.
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oh wow! I nearly forgot Morbius.
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