Scientists Identify Shared Regeneration Genes in Salamanders, Zebrafish, and Mice
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Researchers have discovered a common set of genes, called SP genes, that are active during limb and tissue regeneration in three different species. This finding suggests these genes play a central role in a process that could inform future therapies for humans, who cannot regrow entire limbs. The work points to a potential pathway for enhancing human healing.
Facts First
- SP genes are active during regeneration in axolotls, zebrafish, and mice.
- Removing the SP8 gene in axolotls impaired their ability to regrow limb bones.
- A gene therapy delivering FGF8 partially restored digit regrowth in mice lacking SP genes.
- Over 1 million human amputations occur annually, treatments are limited.
- The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.**
What Happened
Researchers from Wake Forest University, Duke University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison have identified a shared group of genes that are activated when axolotl salamanders, zebrafish, and mice regenerate limbs or tissues. The study, led by Wake Forest Assistant Professor of Biology Josh Currie, focused on genes known as SP genes. Using CRISPR gene-editing, the team removed the SP8 gene from axolotls, which then were unable to properly regenerate limb bones. Similar bone regeneration problems were observed in mice missing both SP6 and SP8 genes during digit regrowth.
Why this Matters to You
While humans cannot regrow entire limbs like salamanders, this research identifies a fundamental genetic pathway involved in regeneration that is conserved across species. Understanding this pathway is a step toward potential future therapies that could enhance healing for the over 1 million people who undergo amputations each year due to diabetes, trauma, or cancer. The study suggests that activating or supplementing these SP gene functions might one day improve tissue repair.
What's Next
The researchers demonstrated a potential therapeutic angle. A lab at Duke University, David A. Brown designed a viral gene therapy based on a tissue regeneration enhancer from zebrafish. When delivered to mice with impaired SP gene function, the therapy, the signaling molecule FGF8 partially restored bone regrowth in damaged digits. The next steps involve further testing this approach in other models এবং exploring its applicability to human medicine.