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Scientists Discover the Key to Axolotls’ Ability to Regenerate Limbs (www.wired.com)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/science@lemmy.world
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"In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers reveal an elegant molecular mechanism that acts like a GPS coordinate system for regenerating cells.... the puzzle was how the cells in the regenerating limb-stump controlled their levels so precisely to know exactly where they were on the axis from shoulder to hand.”

The Nature paper:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59497-5

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[–] 31 points 1 year ago (11 children)

Until they try it on humans and it turns out it also grows cancer.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago

    Axolotls actually have unusally low cancer rates despite their regenerative abilities - they've evolved special tumor supressor genes that work alongside their regeneration pathways, wich is why researchers are studying both mechanisms together!

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Then they just need to figure out how to use the non-cancer-gene from those blind naked African rats who can run equally fast forward and backwards, look like a wrinkly penis with legs and teeth and are friends with Ron Stoppable and we will have figured out a cure to cancer while regenerating body parts left and right. It'll be great.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    That seems to be what they are trying to control. Just "turning on" the regenerative mechanisms is a fast track to a cancerous growth. This research seems to be aimed at understanding how to provide that mechanism with the chemical instruction of what to grow into. While we aren't there yet, each time a new part of that instruction set is figured out, we get a step closer to regrowing lost tissue. Living organisms are incredibly complex and understanding large, complex processes like growing a limb is going to take a lot of work and time.

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