Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Electrical signals kick off flatworm regeneration

Scientists have discovered that electrical activity is the first known step in planarian flatworm regeneration, starting before genetic machinery kicks in. This breakthrough enables cells to communicate and make decisions about their position and overall organ structure.

SourceCell Press·JournalBiophysical Journal·DateMar 5, 2019

A very human machine

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a novel brain implant that mimics the appearance, size, and flexibility of real neurons, allowing for stable monitoring of neural signals and potential treatment of neurological disorders. The implants inspire negligible immune response and may even encourage tissue regeneration.

SourceHarvard University·JournalNature Materials·DateFeb 25, 2019

Discovery may bolster chemotherapy potency while protecting the heart from side-effects

University of Alberta researchers have discovered a way to make chemotherapy more effective against cancer while blocking its harmful side effects on the heart. By stabilizing a specific metabolic protein, they were able to prevent heart damage and enhance tumor regression in preclinical mouse models.

SourceUniversity of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateFeb 6, 2019

Why do Hydra end up with just a single head?

Researchers at UNIGE discovered the identity of Hydra's inhibitor, protein Sp5, which maintains a single-headed adult body and regulates regenerative response. The mechanism has been conserved throughout evolution, suggesting potential therapeutic applications in human tumors.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 18, 2019

A Mexican cavefish with a scarred heart

Scientists have discovered that a Mexican cavefish can regenerate its heart tissue, unlike its blind and translucent cousin. Researchers found three DNA segments responsible for the ability to regenerate heart tissue, shedding light on the genetic mechanisms behind this process.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell Reports·DateNov 20, 2018

Patients' own cells and materials used to create personalized tissue implants of any kind

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a personalized tissue implant technology that uses patients' own cells and materials, allowing for the creation of any type of tissue implant with minimal immune response risk. This breakthrough has the potential to regenerate damaged or diseased organs with high efficiency.

SourceAmerican Friends of Tel Aviv University·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateNov 12, 2018

Regeneration science takes a leap forward

Researchers at Tufts University have discovered that delivering progesterone via a wearable bioreactor can induce partial limb regeneration in adult frogs. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for amputation injuries, potentially benefiting millions of people worldwide.

SourceTufts University·JournalCell Reports·DateNov 6, 2018

Amputation injury is communicated to opposing limbs

Scientists at Tufts University have found that amputation of one limb immediately reflects in the bioelectric properties of the opposing, un-damaged limb in developing frogs. The phenomenon, dubbed 'bioelectric injury mirroring,' indicates that information about damage to tissues is available within 30 seconds.

SourceTufts University·JournalDevelopment·DateOct 4, 2018

Immune cells help older muscles heal like new

Biomedical engineers at Duke University discovered that immune cells, specifically macrophages, play a critical role in regenerating lab-grown adult muscle tissue. The discovery could lead to new treatments for degenerative muscle diseases and enhance the survival of engineered tissue grafts.

SourceDuke University·JournalNature Biomedical Engineering·DateOct 1, 2018

Skin wounds in older mice are less likely to scar

Researchers discovered that older mice exhibit increased tissue regeneration and decreased scar formation in skin wounds. The findings were confirmed in human studies, suggesting that aging suppresses the circulating factor SDF1, which promotes scar formation. The study's authors hope to develop a drug to prevent scarring in humans.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell Reports·DateSep 25, 2018

When it comes to regrowing tails, neural stem cells are the key

Scientists discovered that neural stem cells in spinal cords are the limiting factor for tail regeneration. Unlike salamanders, lizard neural stem cells cannot produce diverse cell types needed for bony vertebrae development. This finding may aid understanding of why humans can't regenerate their tails.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018

Regenerative bandage accelerates healing in diabetic wounds

A Northwestern University team developed a regenerative bandage that heals diabetic wounds 33% faster than current market products, leveraging the body's natural wound-healing process. The bandage uses an antioxidant hydrogel with a thermally responsive segment of laminin to facilitate tissue regeneration and counter inflammation.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 11, 2018

Invasive species of coral boasts amazing capacity for regeneration

Researchers in Brazil have discovered that sun coral can regenerate at a faster rate as water temperature increases, making it a formidable invasive species. The study's findings suggest that the genus Tubastraea, which comprises seven species, including two invasive ones, can thrive in various marine environments.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalJournal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology·DateJun 5, 2018

'Multiomics' and the newborn mouse heart

Researchers investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying myocardial regenerative ability in newborn mice, identifying fructose-induced glycolysis as a key factor for cardiac muscle cell proliferation. The study provided insights into the loss of regenerative capacity and potential new treatments for heart disease.

SourceUniversity of Helsinki·JournalFrontiers in Physiology·DateJun 1, 2018

Computer-designed customized regenerative heart valves

A team of researchers has successfully designed and produced individualized, computer-modeled regenerative heart valves grown from human cells. These bioengineered replacements can grow and regenerate themselves without causing immune reactions in patients' bodies, addressing a major limitation of current artificial implants.

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateMay 9, 2018

An eye toward regeneration

Researchers at UNLV have found that frog embryos can regenerate their entire eye within 3 to 5 days after injury, contradicting previous claims. This breakthrough has potential implications for human tissue regeneration and may lead to the development of new treatments for eye injuries.

SourceUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas·JournalExperimental Eye Research·DateApr 18, 2018

Dental oral craniofacial tissue regeneration consortia: A new paradigm

The National Institutes of Health (NIDCR) established the DOCTRC Program to develop resources and strategies for regenerating dental, oral, and craniofacial tissues. Two national resource centers were established: The Michigan-Pittsburgh-Wyss Resource Center and the Center for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Tissue and Organ Regeneration.

New-found stem cell helps regenerate lung tissue after acute injury, finds Penn study

Researchers have identified a lung stem cell that repairs the organ's gas exchange compartment and restores respiratory function after severe influenza and other respiratory ailments. The discovery provides new insights into lung regeneration and identifies novel genetic and epigenetic pathways important for lung regeneration.

Decoding the axolotl genome

Researchers have sequenced the axolotl genome, the largest genome ever to be decoded, to study molecular basis of regrowing limbs and other forms of regeneration. The analysis discovered several genes that are expressed in regenerating limb tissue and revealed key roles for PAX3 and PAX7 genes in muscle and neural development.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature·DateJan 24, 2018

A new genome for regeneration research

The study provides a complete genome assembly of the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea, revealing novel giant repeat elements, new genes, and the absence of certain essential genes. The discovery has potential implications for understanding regeneration research and stem cell biology.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature·DateJan 24, 2018

Scientists identify genes implicated in the high regenerative capacity of embryos and ESCs

Researchers at AgeX Therapeutics, Insilico Medicine, and the Biogerontology Research Foundation used deep learning techniques to analyze gene expression data in embryonic stem cells. They identified genes, including COX7A1, that contribute to the regenerative capacity of embryos and ESCs, with potential applications in cancer therapies.

SourceBiogerontology Research Foundation·JournalOncoTargets and Therapy·DateJan 16, 2018