Can current research in limb regeneration and wound healing in axolotls be applied to modern medicine in humans?

Started Apr. 21, 2023

Abstract or project description

The amputation of limbs can be life-threatening and 185,000 amputations occur in the United States each year. Developing therapeutic techniques and devices to advance limb regeneration and recovery will significantly benefit clinical medicine. Axolotls serve as an excellent model system for studying tissue regeneration because of their capacity to regrow their limbs and large organs when amputated, as opposed to forming scar tissue like mammals. This review will discuss what is known about axolotl limb regeneration and wound healing and how it can be applied to modern translational medicine in humans. Underlying similarities and differences in genetics between humans and axolotls will be discussed, such as the activation and regulation of the TGF-b1 gene to proliferate cells during regeneration. In our investigation, we will address potential gaps in our understanding of the science and the availability of research data that can be readily applied to humans. Studying these properties in axolotls will potentially allow us to inform treatments to enhance regenerative abilities in humans.