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Small creature with gills decoration, polite smile and glowing green skin. Scientists have given a major idea to solve one of the biggest secrets of biology: renewal of the limbs.
Water seminal called axolotls It is famous for its extraordinary ability to regime the lost ends due to injury or amputation. Now, the researchers discovered more about the complex process behind this superpower in a new study published on Tuesday in Nature Communications.
“A long question in this field, what is the sermon that tells cells at the position of parking, for example, or to grow an entire arm,” said James Monagan, the author of the study, senior authors of the study.
It turns out that a substance called retinoic acid, which is usually found in acne treatments in retinol, is responsible for reference to the parts of the body that the affected cells of the AXolotl – and how, found the study.
Monagan explained that the retinoic acid is important in the development of human embryos as well, and informs the cells of the location of head, heads and feet. But for an unknown reason, most of our cells lose the ability to “listen” to the innovative sermon of the molecule while they are in the womb.
Although the re -creation of the entire human parties still seems to be the distant things from science fiction, Monagan said that studying the function of recentoe acid signals in these amphibians can help develop new ways of human recovery and genetic treatments.
The study of the function of retinoic acid signals in these “smiling” aquaculus may help scientists develop new methods of recovery and genetic treatments for human beings. Alyssa Stone/Northeast University
Study of retinoic acid in axolotls
Axolotls is not glowing naturally in the dark. To monitor the signals of the retinoic acid signals, the genetically modified Monaghan Axolotls team used the glamor of fluoride green where the molecule was activating the affected cells.
Initially, the research team took a more “Frankstein” approach by injecting excessive quantities of retinoic acid into sermons and monitoring effects. On the amputation site, Axolotls will grow more than they need – replace a full arm.
Catherine Maccker, a professor participating in biology at the University of Massachusetts, who was not involved in the study, said, “
To better understand how Axolotls used its natural levels of retinoic acid to regenerate, Monagan and his team changed their approach.
“We discovered that one enzyme is responsible for breaking the retinoic acid in (AXolots”). When his team prevented this enzyme, the same effects of Frankstein occurred again. “This is really exciting and we blew up, as it appears that the levels of retinoic acid (natural) are controlled by its collapse.”
In other words, the affected Axolotl hand does not know to grow into a partial arm because the enzyme, called CYP26B1, prevents the regeneration process from moving forward.
Monagan said that understanding this relationship in the Axolotl renewal system is only one piece of mystery. The next step is to determine the exact genes targeted by retinoic acid inside the cells during the renewal to increase the detection of the “plan” followed by these cells.
Axolotls is not naturally glowing in the dark – genetically modified to understand the best how to use retinoic acid to grow lost ends. – Timothy Douir
What humans can learn from axolotls
Monagan said that when it affects the AXolotl cells, it is going through a process called dedefaction, in which they lose their “memory” and return to a fetal condition. In this fetal case, the cells become focused on generating new limbs, and can once again listen to the recentoe acid signals for construction and growth.
However, human cells are not separated when infection, so they cannot respond to the receptor acid signals. Instead, our tissue interacts with the injury by scarring, putting collagen piles and released a day, Monaghan said.
But what if there is a way that human cells can take these orders to build ends again?
“This question is very interesting when it comes to genetic treatment because we may not need to add genes or remove genes to urge renewal in humans – we can only run the right genes in time or turn off the right genes at the right time,” said Monagan. To prevent and treat disease.
McCosker said it is possible that the renewal of the human parties is far in the future, but once scientists understand more about the recedes acid signals, technology can help restore this renewal capacity on human cells to heal wounds and prevent scars.
Part of McCusker research focuses on how to accelerate the renovation of the limbs. For axolotls, it may take only two days to regime their small hands, but in a completely developing person, this process may take years, said McCosker.
“It is important to continue to conduct basic biological research,” McCosker said. “We find very new ways to do things that we don’t think are now possible with the current human medicine.”
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