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Multi-scale Chimerism: An experimental window on the algorithms of anatomical control. Cells Dev 2022; 169:203764. [PMID: 34974205 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2021.203764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite the immense progress in genetics and cell biology, major knowledge gaps remain with respect to prediction and control of the global morphologies that will result from the cooperation of cells with known genomes. The understanding of cooperativity, competition, and synergy across diverse biological scales has been obscured by a focus on standard model systems that exhibit invariant species-specific anatomies. Morphogenesis of chimeric biological material is an especially instructive window on the control of biological growth and form because it emphasizes the need for prediction without reliance on familiar, standard outcomes. Here, we review an important and fascinating body of data from experiments utilizing DNA transfer, cell transplantation, organ grafting, and parabiosis. We suggest that these are all instances (at different levels of organization) of one general phenomenon: chimerism. Multi-scale chimeras are a powerful conceptual and experimental tool with which to probe the mapping between properties of components and large-scale anatomy: the laws of morphogenesis. The existing data and future advances in this field will impact not only the understanding of cooperation and the evolution of body forms, but also the design of strategies for system-level outcomes in regenerative medicine and swarm robotics.
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2
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Tung A, Levin M. Extra-genomic instructive influences in morphogenesis: A review of external signals that regulate growth and form. Dev Biol 2020; 461:1-12. [PMID: 31981561 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic development and regeneration accomplish a remarkable feat: individual cells work together to create or repair complex anatomical structures. What is the source of the instructive signals that specify these invariant and robust organ-level outcomes? The most frequently studied source of morphogenetic control is the host genome and its transcriptional circuits. However, it is now apparent that significant information affecting patterning also arrives from outside of the body. Both biotic and physical factors, including temperature and various molecular signals emanating from pathogens, commensals, and conspecific organisms, affect developmental outcomes. Here, we review examples in which anatomical patterning decisions are strongly impacted by lateral signals that originate from outside of the zygotic genome. The endogenous pathways targeted by these influences often show transgenerational effects, enabling them to shape the evolution of anatomies even faster than traditional Baldwin-type assimilation. We also discuss recent advances in the biophysics of morphogenetic controls and speculate on additional sources of important patterning information which could be exploited to better understand the evolution of bodies and to design novel approaches for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tung
- Department of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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Cairns DM, Giordano JE, Conte S, Levin M, Kaplan DL. Ivermectin Promotes Peripheral Nerve Regeneration during Wound Healing. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:12392-12402. [PMID: 30411007 PMCID: PMC6210064 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b01451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Peripheral nerves have the capacity to regenerate due to the presence of neuroprotective glia of the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells. Upon peripheral nerve injury, Schwann cells create a permissive microenvironment for neuronal regrowth by taking up cytotoxic glutamate and secreting neurotrophic signaling molecules. Impaired peripheral nerve repair is often caused by a defective Schwann cell response after injury, and there is a critical need to develop new strategies to enhance nerve regeneration, especially in organisms with restricted regenerative potential, such as humans. One approach is to explore mechanisms in lower organisms, in which nerve repair is much more efficient. A recent study demonstrated that the antiparasitic drug, ivermectin, caused hyperinnervation of primordial eye tissue in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. Our study aimed to examine the role of ivermectin in mammalian nerve repair. We performed in vitro assays utilizing human induced neural stem cells (hiNSCs) in co-culture with human dermal fibroblasts (hDFs) and found that ivermectin-treated hDFs promote hiNSC proliferation and migration. We also characterized the effects of ivermectin on hDFs and found that ivermectin causes hDFs to uptake extracellular glutamate, secrete glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, develop an elongated bipolar morphology, and express glial fibrillary acidic protein. Finally, in a corresponding in vivo model, we found that localized ivermectin treatment in a dermal wound site induced the upregulation of both glial and neuronal markers upon healing. Taken together, we demonstrate that ivermectin promotes peripheral nerve regeneration by inducing fibroblasts to adopt a glia-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M. Cairns
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center, and Tufts University
Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars Program (TUBERS), Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Jodie E. Giordano
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center, and Tufts University
Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars Program (TUBERS), Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Sylvia Conte
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center, and Tufts University
Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars Program (TUBERS), Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Michael Levin
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center, and Tufts University
Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars Program (TUBERS), Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center, and Tufts University
Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars Program (TUBERS), Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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4
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Dolan CP, Dawson LA, Muneoka K. Digit Tip Regeneration: Merging Regeneration Biology with Regenerative Medicine. Stem Cells Transl Med 2018; 7:262-270. [PMID: 29405625 PMCID: PMC5827737 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.17-0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regeneration Biology is the study of organisms with endogenous regenerative abilities, whereas Regenerative Medicine focuses on engineering solutions for human injuries that do not regenerate. While the two fields are fundamentally different in their approach, there is an obvious interface involving mammalian regeneration models. The fingertip is the only part of the human limb that is regeneration-competent and the regenerating mouse digit tip has emerged as a model to study a clinically relevant regenerative response. In this article, we discuss how studies of digit tip regeneration have identified critical components of the regenerative response, and how an understanding of endogenous regeneration can lead to expanding the regenerative capabilities of nonregenerative amputation wounds. Such studies demonstrate that regeneration-incompetent wounds can respond to treatment with individual morphogenetic agents by initiating a multi-tissue response that culminates in structural regeneration. In addition, the healing process of nonregenerative wounds are found to cycle through nonresponsive, responsive and nonresponsive phases, and we call the responsive phase the Regeneration Window. We also find the responsiveness of mature healed amputation wounds can be reactivated by reinjury, thus nonregenerated wounds retain a potential for regeneration. We propose that regeneration-incompetent injuries possess dormant regenerative potential that can be activated by targeted treatment with specific morphogenetic agents. We believe that future Regenerative Medicine-based-therapies should be designed to promote, not replace, regenerative responses. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:262-270.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor P Dolan
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Lindsay A Dawson
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ken Muneoka
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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5
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Levin M, Martyniuk CJ. The bioelectric code: An ancient computational medium for dynamic control of growth and form. Biosystems 2018; 164:76-93. [PMID: 28855098 PMCID: PMC10464596 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
What determines large-scale anatomy? DNA does not directly specify geometrical arrangements of tissues and organs, and a process of encoding and decoding for morphogenesis is required. Moreover, many species can regenerate and remodel their structure despite drastic injury. The ability to obtain the correct target morphology from a diversity of initial conditions reveals that the morphogenetic code implements a rich system of pattern-homeostatic processes. Here, we describe an important mechanism by which cellular networks implement pattern regulation and plasticity: bioelectricity. All cells, not only nerves and muscles, produce and sense electrical signals; in vivo, these processes form bioelectric circuits that harness individual cell behaviors toward specific anatomical endpoints. We review emerging progress in reading and re-writing anatomical information encoded in bioelectrical states, and discuss the approaches to this problem from the perspectives of information theory, dynamical systems, and computational neuroscience. Cracking the bioelectric code will enable much-improved control over biological patterning, advancing basic evolutionary developmental biology as well as enabling numerous applications in regenerative medicine and synthetic bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600 Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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6
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Arenas Gómez CM, Gómez Molina A, Zapata JD, Delgado JP. Limb regeneration in a direct-developing terrestrial salamander, Bolitoglossa ramosi (Caudata: Plethodontidae): Limb regeneration in plethodontid salamanders. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 4:227-235. [PMID: 29299325 PMCID: PMC5743783 DOI: 10.1002/reg2.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Appendage regeneration is one of the most compelling phenomena in regenerative biology and is extensively studied in axolotls and newts. However, the regenerative capacity in other families of salamanders remains poorly described. Here we characterize the limb regeneration process in Bolitoglossa ramosi, a direct‐developing terrestrial salamander of the plethodontid family. We (1) describe the major morphological features at different stages of limb regeneration, (2) show that appendage regeneration in a terrestrial salamander varies from other amphibians and (3) show that limb regeneration in this species is considerably slower than in axolotls and newts (95 days post‐amputation for complete regeneration) despite having a significantly smaller genome size than axolotls or newts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Marcela Arenas Gómez
- Sede de Investigación Universitaria Torre 2, Laboratorio 432, Calle 62 No. 52-59 Medellín Colombia.,Grupo de Genética, Regeneración y Cáncer Universidad de Antioquia Medellin Colombia
| | - Andrea Gómez Molina
- Sede de Investigación Universitaria Torre 2, Laboratorio 432, Calle 62 No. 52-59 Medellín Colombia.,Grupo de Genética, Regeneración y Cáncer Universidad de Antioquia Medellin Colombia
| | - Juliana D Zapata
- Grupo de Investigación en Patobiología Quiró nUniversidad de Antioquia Ciudadela Robledo, Carrera 75 # 65-87, bloque 47, oficina 134 Medellín Colombia
| | - Jean Paul Delgado
- Sede de Investigación Universitaria Torre 2, Laboratorio 432, Calle 62 No. 52-59 Medellín Colombia.,Grupo de Genética, Regeneración y Cáncer Universidad de Antioquia Medellin Colombia
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Blackiston DJ, Shomrat T, Levin M. The stability of memories during brain remodeling: A perspective. Commun Integr Biol 2015; 8:e1073424. [PMID: 27066165 PMCID: PMC4802789 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2015.1073424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most important features of the nervous system is memory: the ability to represent and store experiences, in a manner that alters behavior and cognition at future times when the original stimulus is no longer present. However, the brain is not always an anatomically stable structure: many animal species regenerate all or part of the brain after severe injury, or remodel their CNS toward a new configuration as part of their life cycle. This raises a fascinating question: what are the dynamics of memories during brain regeneration? Can stable memories remain intact when cellular turnover and spatial rearrangement modify the biological hardware within which experiences are stored? What can we learn from model species that exhibit both, regeneration and memory, with respect to robustness and stability requirements for long-term memories encoded in living tissues? In this Perspective, we discuss relevant data in regenerating planaria, metamorphosing insects, and hibernating ground squirrels. While much remains to be done to understand this remarkable process, molecular-level insight will have important implications for cognitive science, regenerative medicine of the brain, and the development of non-traditional computational media in synthetic bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Blackiston
- Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology and Department of Biology; Tufts University ; Medford, MA USA
| | - Tal Shomrat
- Department of Neurobiology; Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus; Jerusalem, Israel; School of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center; Michmoret, Israel
| | - Michael Levin
- Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology and Department of Biology; Tufts University ; Medford, MA USA
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Simkin J, Sammarco MC, Dawson LA, Tucker C, Taylor LJ, Van Meter K, Muneoka K. Epidermal closure regulates histolysis during mammalian (Mus) digit regeneration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 2:106-19. [PMID: 27499872 PMCID: PMC4895321 DOI: 10.1002/reg2.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian digit regeneration progresses through consistent stages: histolysis, inflammation, epidermal closure, blastema formation, and finally redifferentiation. What we do not yet know is how each stage can affect others. Questions of stage timing, tissue interactions, and microenvironmental states are becoming increasingly important as we look toward solutions for whole limb regeneration. This study focuses on the timing of epidermal closure which, in mammals, is delayed compared to more regenerative animals like the axolotl. We use a standard wound closure device, Dermabond (2-octyl cyanoacrylate), to induce earlier epidermal closure, and we evaluate the effect of fast epidermal closure on histolysis, blastema formation, and redifferentiation. We find that fast epidermal closure is reliant upon a hypoxic microenvironment. Additionally, early epidermal closure eliminates the histolysis stage and results in a regenerate that more closely replicates the amputated structure. We show that tools like Dermabond and oxygen are able to independently influence the various stages of regeneration enabling us to uncouple histolysis, wound closure, and other regenerative events. With this study, we start to understand how each stage of mammalian digit regeneration is controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Simkin
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA; Department of Biology University of Kentucky Lexington Kentucky 40506 USA
| | - Mimi C Sammarco
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA
| | - Lindsay A Dawson
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA; Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - Catherine Tucker
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA
| | - Louis J Taylor
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA
| | - Keith Van Meter
- Department of Medicine Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans Louisiana 70112 USA
| | - Ken Muneoka
- Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA; Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
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9
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Bessonov N, Levin M, Morozova N, Reinberg N, Tosenberger A, Volpert V. On a model of pattern regeneration based on cell memory. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118091. [PMID: 25695252 PMCID: PMC4335072 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We present here a new model of the cellular dynamics that enable regeneration of complex biological morphologies. Biological cell structures are considered as an ensemble of mathematical points on the plane. Each cell produces a signal which propagates in space and is received by other cells. The total signal received by each cell forms a signal distribution defined on the cell structure. This distribution characterizes the geometry of the cell structure. If a part of this structure is removed, the remaining cells have two signals. They keep the value of the signal which they had before the amputation (memory), and they receive a new signal produced after the amputation. Regeneration of the cell structure is stimulated by the difference between the old and the new signals. It is stopped when the two signals coincide. The algorithm of regeneration contains certain rules which are essential for its functioning, being the first quantitative model of cellular memory that implements regeneration of complex patterns to a specific target morphology. Correct regeneration depends on the form and the size of the cell structure, as well as on some parameters of regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai Bessonov
- Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199178 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology, Tufts Center for Regenerative & Developmental Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Nadya Morozova
- Laboratoire Epigénétique et Cancer, CNRS FRE 3377, CEA, 91191 Saclay, France
- Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientiques, 91440 Bures-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Natalia Reinberg
- Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199178 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alen Tosenberger
- Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientiques, 91440 Bures-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Vitaly Volpert
- Institut Camille Jordan, UMR 5208 CNRS, University Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
- * E-mail:
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10
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Subtractive screen of potential limb regeneration related genes from Pachytriton brevipes. Mol Biol Rep 2014; 41:1015-26. [PMID: 24390235 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-013-2946-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration capacity varies greatly among different animal species. In vertebrate, amphibian especially the Urodela, has been used as a powerful model system to study the mechanism of tissue regeneration because of the strong ability to regenerate their damaged or lost appendages. Pachytriton brevipes, a species of newt, which is widely distributed in south of China, can completely restore their damaged limbs within several months. In this study, we use modified suppression subtractive hybridization assay and dot-blot screening to identify candidate genes involved in tissue regeneration in P. brevipes. We successfully isolated 81 ESTs from a forward regeneration subtraction library. And we further verified the differential expression of four candidate genes, Rpl11, Cirbp, Ag2 and Trimx, between regenerating blastema and non-regeneration tissues by in situ hybridization. These genes were also be further characterized by phylogenetic and bioinformatic analysis. In general, we provided a comparative experimental approach to study the mechanisms of vertebrate regeneration.
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Inoue T, Inoue R, Tsutsumi R, Tada K, Urata Y, Michibayashi C, Takemura S, Agata K. Lens regenerates by means of similar processes and timeline in adults and larvae of the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster. Dev Dyn 2012; 241:1575-83. [PMID: 22930574 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.23854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is widely accepted that juvenile animals can regenerate faster than adults. For example, in the case of lens regeneration of the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster, larvae and adults require approximately 30 and 80 days for completion of lens regeneration, respectively. However, when we carefully observed lens regeneration in C. pyrrhogaster at the cellular level using molecular markers in the present study, we found that lens regeneration during the larval stage proceeded at similar speed and by means of similar steps to those in adults. RESULTS We could not find any drastic difference between regeneration at these two stages, except that the size of the eyes was very different. CONCLUSIONS Our observations suggested that larvae could regenerate a lens of the original size within a shorter time than adults because the larval lens was smaller than the adult lens, but the speed of regeneration was not faster in larvae. In addition, by repeatedly observing the regeneration in one individual transgenic newt that expressed fluorescence specifically in lens fiber cells in vivo and comparing the regeneration process at the embryonic, larval, and postmetamorphosis stages, we confirmed that the regeneration speed was the same at each of these stages in the same individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Inoue
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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Agata K, Inoue T. Survey of the differences between regenerative and non-regenerative animals. Dev Growth Differ 2012; 54:143-52. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-169x.2011.01323.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
In contrast to the limited regenerative ability found in human wound healing, which often results in unsatisfying and deficient scar formation, urodele amphibians, with the Mexican axolotl as a prime example, expose an extraordinary regenerative capacity. This regeneration leads to a perfect restoration of tissue architecture, function, and aesthetics with the axolotl being actually able to reclaim complete limbs. Evolutionary considerations suggest that regeneration might be a biologic principle which also underlies human wound healing. Experimental findings, such as comparative studies on transforming growth factor-β and fibroblast growth factor accentuate this assumption. Regeneration, as recent data indicate, might be a question of adaptive immunity. The loss of regenerative potency correlates with the decrease of regeneration in most species, whereas the Mexican axolotl lacks adaptive immunity throughout its life. The characterization of molecular pathways as a prerequisite for any control of regenerative processes sets an increasing indication toward the transfer into human beings. Some regenerative techniques, eg, recombinant transforming growth factor-β have already emerged. Molecular findings suggest that there is an intrinsic regenerative capacity in humans which might be initiated under appropriate circumstances. The Mexican axolotl is liable to diverse surgical and molecular approaches. Though well-known among developmental biologists, its exploitation for experimental Plastic Surgery still has to be established. We therefore intend to give an introduction to amphibian regeneration and the common evolutionary roots of regeneration and human wound healing, as we believe that Plastic Surgery takes a unique advantage of performing basic research on amphibian regeneration.
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