Axolotls, chemical cocktails, and a new route for stem cell therapy — maybe
Axolotls are way ahead of stem cell scientists. When the frilly, smiling salamanders native to Mexico City lose a limb, they turn back the clock on their adult cells, ‘reprogramming’ them back into stem cells, and ultimately, regrow their entire limb.
In some cases, axolotls have regenerated parts of their brains, their spines, and even their hearts.
Earlier this month, a group of Chinese scientists led by Hongkui Deng reported in Nature that they were able to use only chemical compounds to reprogram human cells into stem cells. The fun part? The chemically induced cells shared similar properties with axolotl limb regeneration cells.
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