Salamanders Grow New Toes

Okazaki, Mar 22 (News On Japan) - Salamanders are well-known for their ability to completely regenerate lost limbs, but it has now been discovered that they can also regrow parts, such as toes, that they were not born with.

A research team led by Kenichi Suzuki, a special associate professor at the Institute for Basic Biology, investigated the regenerative capabilities of salamanders by amputating the hind legs of individuals that were genetically unable to form toes and other parts. The team continued their observations following the amputation.

It was already known that salamanders can regenerate lost limbs and heal internal organs within a few months. The novelty here is that they managed to grow fully functional toes that were previously nonexistent.

Suzuki believes that humans possess regenerative capabilities similar to those of salamanders. Unraveling this mechanism could not only speed up injury recovery but also pave the way for the use of artificial organs, thus holding promising applications for human medicine.

Source: ANN

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