12.03.06

Human Limb Regeneration?

Posted in Current Events at 3:08 am by Abbas

It just may be possible (at least at the Salk!)…

The ability to regenerate limbs is an enviable ability possessed by many vertebrate embryos, and occurs in a variety of adult animals such as salamanders, hydra, horseshoe crabs and a particular species of mouse.

Most mammals exhibit extremely limited regenerative abilities, not on par with those of salamanders. Examples of mammalian regeneration include antlers, fingertips and holes in ears.

An understanding of the processes behind regeneration could lead to better treatment for individuals with nerve injuries (such as those resulting from a broken back or a polio infection), missing limbs, and/or damaged or destroyed organs. Scientists may indeed be one step closer to developing such treatments.

Researchers at the La Jolla, California based Salk Institute have succeeded in stimulating limb regeneration in a developing chick embryo — a species not known to possess regenerative ability. The results of this study further suggest that all organisms, including humans, posses some degree of regenerative potential. It appears that the ability to regenerate limbs is an ability that has been lost or otherwise suppressed in most organisms.

Stimulating the regeneration of lost limbs is perhaps as simple as activating a genetic program already present.

The results of this study, published in the Advance Online Genes and Development on Nov. 17, suggest exactly this. The study’s lead author, Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, Ph.D. explains: “In this simple experiment, we removed part of the chick embryo’s wing, activated Wnt signaling, and got the whole limb back — a beautiful and perfect wing.

“By changing the expression of a few genes, you can change the ability of a vertebrate to regenerate their limbs, rebuilding blood vessels, bone, muscles, and skin — everything that is needed.”

While newly developed and technically immature, research such as this serves a fresh beacon of hope for those suffering some sort of degenerative limb disease and those who’ve lost limbs to amputations, etc. While this technology is undeniably years from practical application in human medicine, it is undeniably a step — if not a giant leap, in the right direction.

(source and full article: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661129033)

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