Salamanders regenerate limbs like magic, scientists are amazed
The axolotl's retinoic acid-powered limb regeneration could change the way we heal injuries in modern medicine.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•16/06/2025
New research published in Nature Communications reveals the molecule behind the axolotl's amazing ability to regenerate limbs. Photo: Bigzumi / Shutterstock. According to experts, the central compound in the axolotl's miraculous limb regeneration process is retinoic acid - a familiar vitamin A derivative commonly found in acne medications. Photo: Guillermo Guerao Serra / Shutterstock.
Axolotls are strange creatures that live in freshwater lakes in Mexico. They have long been a fascinating subject of research in regenerative biology. Photo: Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University. Axolotls can regrow entire limbs, including bones, joints, blood vessels, and nerves, after losing a limb. While this is not uncommon in some animals, the axolotl's complex limb regeneration ability has surprised scientists . Photo: Paul Starosta/Stone via Getty Images. To solve this mystery, a research team at Northeastern University (USA) led by Professor James Monaghan discovered that the axolotl regenerates limbs precisely down to each joint thanks to a sophisticated molecular signaling system. In which, retinoic acid acts as a spatial positioning system (biological GPS) for regenerating cells. Photo: HTO/Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Retinoic acid is an active derivative of vitamin A, commonly used to treat acne and anti-aging skin. However, newly published research by experts shows that this compound can do much more than that. Photo: Pixabay/LaDameBucolique. According to the research team, retinoic acid tells cells where they are on the limb's developmental axis and what tissue to build there, from the shoulder to the elbow to the fingers. Photo: Anadolu/Getty Images. The distribution of retinoic acid concentration along the limb axis - high at the base, low towards the tip - forms a "biological coordinate" that helps guide the process of rebuilding the limb structure exactly as it was before. In this process, the enzyme CYP26B1 plays a key role. It helps break down retinoic acid and regulates its concentration gradient. Photo: Unsplash.com.
In axolotls, limb injury can reactivate the embryonic developmental program, creating new tissue to replace the lost part. Photo: Arm001/Shutterstock. From this study, scientists have proven that the phenomenon of regeneration is no longer a mystery but can be completely explained by molecular biology. They are optimistic that in the future, humans will also be able to regenerate limbs like the axolotl. Photo: openaccessgovernment.
Readers are invited to watch the video : Discovering many new species in the Mekong River Region. Source: THĐT1.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•16/06/2025
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