Tag

Regeneration

All articles tagged with #regeneration

science16 days ago•7 min saved

Ten Species That Consume Their Own Tissue for Survival or Hygiene

Discover Wildlife highlights ten animal species that engage in autophagy, the consumption of their own body parts. Examples include lizards eating shed tails, spiny mice gnawing off skeletal remains, and octopuses consuming tentacles. Other cases involve snakes eating their tails, mammals eating placentas, ladybirds consuming non-viable eggs, primates eating nasal mucus, crickets eating wings, and spiders gnawing off reproductive organs. These behaviors serve various functions, from resource recycling and infection prevention to nutritional recovery and mate competition.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#animal-behavior #autophagy #biology

health-and-medicine2 months ago•6 min saved

Telomere Protein TRF2 Drives Muscle Regeneration

A University of Pennsylvania study shows TRF2, a protein long known for protecting chromosome ends, also helps muscle stem cells maintain their identity and coordinate the repair cycle. Removing TRF2 in mouse muscle stem cells impairs regeneration, causing fat and scar tissue to accumulate after injury, and accelerates Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a mouse model. TRF2 acts beyond telomeres, targeting regulatory genome regions containing G-quadruplex structures to preserve stem cell identity, with implications for therapies and cancer biology.

via ScienceDaily|

#cancer-biology #duchenne-muscular-dystrophy #health-and-medicine

science2 months ago•9 min saved

Thymus revival: a race to reboot aging immune system

Researchers are racing to regrow the thymus, an immune organ that shrinks with age, after studies linked poorer thymic health with higher mortality and cancer risk. Startups and investors are funding thymus-regeneration programs and early trials are underway, but much of the evidence remains correlative, and it’s still unclear whether reviving the thymus can truly slow aging or reduce cancer risk.

via Nature|

#aging #immune-system #longevity

science3 months ago•3 min saved

Crown-of-Thorns: The Venomous Giant Starfish Threatening Coral Reefs

Crown-of-thorns starfish are large, venomous sea stars with up to 21 spines that can reach 80 cm; their toxins can cause severe pain and, in rare cases, fatal reactions. More pressingly, they voraciously eat hard coral—up to about 10 square meters per starfish per year—threatening reefs like the Great Barrier Reef and capable of wiping out reef sections in weeks when populations surge. They regrow from fragments, making culling ineffective, so management favors injections of vinegar or bile salts. Natural predators such as giant triton snails and many reef fish help limit outbreaks, and the presence of giant tritons can even drive COTS away. They feed by everting their stomachs to digest coral tissue, turning it into a coral soup before retracting it.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#coral-reef #crown-of-thorns-starfish #great-barrier-reef

science3 months ago•43 min saved

Two-Growth-Factor Trick Sparks Regeneration in Mice, Skipping Scar Formation

A two-step treatment using growth factors FGF2 and BMP2 reprograms fibroblasts at wound sites to form a blastema-like structure in mice, enabling bone, ligaments and skin to regrow rather than scar. While not a perfect replica of the original anatomy, the approach suggests regeneration in mammals can be steered away from scarring and toward rebuilding tissue, with potential to improve healing after amputations; BMP2 is FDA-approved for certain uses and FGF2 is in clinical trials, possibly speeding translation to humans.

via Good News Network|

#biology #fibroblasts #regeneration

science3 months ago•7 min saved

Two-step growth-factor therapy hints at hidden regenerative powers in mammals

Texas A&M researchers report that sequentially applying FGF2 after wound closure and BMP2 days later can redirect the mammalian healing response from scar formation toward true tissue regeneration, enabling regrowth of bone, joints, ligaments, and tendons in amputated animal models. The work suggests mammals have dormant regenerative capacity that can be unlocked without adding external stem cells, though the regeneration is not an exact replica of the original anatomy and the approach remains early-stage with potential clinical implications.

via ScienceDaily|

#fibroblasts #growth-factors #mammals

science3 months ago•36 min saved

Detached sea cucumber tissue stays alive, challenging life’s boundaries

Researchers report that tissue cut from a sea cucumber’s body can continue to live, providing new insights into regeneration and prompting a rethink of what it means for an organism to be alive.

via Yahoo|

#biology #life-death-boundary #regeneration

science4 months ago•2 min saved

Severed Sea Cucumber Tissues Survive for Years, Redefining Cellular Immortality

Researchers found that severed tissues from the sea cucumber Psolus fabricii can survive, heal, and absorb nutrients in untreated seawater for more than three years without reproducing, suggesting a form of tissue immortality and offering insights into regeneration with potential medical implications.

via Gizmodo|

#cell-biology #immortality #marine-biology

science4 months ago•186 min saved

Sea cucumber tissue fragments defy death, hinting at true immortality

A study of the North Atlantic sea cucumber Psolus fabricii found severed tissue fragments that survived for more than three years in untreated seawater, healing and remaining biologically active without a mouth while absorbing nutrients. Researchers say these “zombie” tissues maintain cellular function without becoming a whole organism, revealing a novel model for tissue maintenance, wound healing, and aging—potentially offering alternatives to immortal cell lines like HeLa for research, though whether the tissues are truly immortal remains to be confirmed.

via CNN|

#aging-research #regeneration #science

science5 months ago•5 min saved

Two-Protein Trick Sparks Partial Toe Regrowth in Mice

Texas A&M researchers coaxed mice toe regrowth by applying two signaling proteins—FGF2 to prime fibroblasts and BMP2 to drive blastema formation—enabling regeneration of bone, tendons, ligaments, and joints across multiple attempts. While imperfect and not yet tested in humans, the work suggests mammals may have latent regenerative potential and could inform future therapies; BMP2 is already used in reconstructive surgery and FGF2 is moving toward clinical use.

via ScienceAlert|

#blastema #bmp2 #fgf2

science5 months ago•5 min saved

Two-Step Growth Factor Therapy Sparks Regeneration in Mice

Texas A&M researchers showed that a two-step treatment—first applying FGF2 after wound closure, then BMP2—redirects local fibroblasts to form a blastema-like structure and triggers regrowth of bone, tendons, ligaments, and joints in mice after amputation. The regenerated tissues were not perfectly formed, but the main structures were restored, suggesting latent regenerative capacity in mammals and potential for reducing scarring. Because BMP2 is FDA-approved for some uses and FGF2 is in clinical trials, the approach could move toward clinical testing sooner rather than later.

via SciTechDaily|

#blastema #growth-factors #mammalian-healing

health5 months ago•1 min saved

Quit Smoking to Help Lungs Heal, but Full Recovery Isn’t Guaranteed

Experts say the lungs can repair after quitting smoking, improving health, but recovery varies by person and age; some damage or genetic changes may persist, so quitting earlier and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (e.g., exercise) is advised.

via The Guardian|

#health #lung-health #lungs

health5 months ago•7 min saved

Human Hearts Show Regrowth After Heart Attacks, Study Finds

New human data confirm that heart muscle cells can regrow after a heart attack, challenging the long-held belief that damage is permanent. By analyzing living heart tissue from bypass patients, researchers observed increased cardiomyocyte mitosis in the damaged regions, suggesting a regenerative process alongside scarring. While not yet reversing heart failure, these findings pave the way for therapies that boost the heart’s natural cell production to repair damage and potentially reduce reliance on transplantation.

via SciTechDaily|

#cardiomyocytes #health #heart

canada-health5 months ago•15 min saved

McGill team tests 'click clotting' to halt bleeding in seconds

Montreal researchers at McGill University have developed 'click clotting,' a chemical approach using a patient’s own or donor blood to rapidly form a stronger clot and control severe bleeding. In vitro and rodent testing show clots that are tougher and may promote healing, with results indicating minimal immune reactivity and no organ toxicity. The method could form clots within 10–20 minutes and, when applied, stop bleeding in seconds, offering potential use in emergency care, wound management, and surgeries. However, further trials in larger animals and humans are needed before clinical deployment.

via Global News|

#blood-clotting #canada-health #click-clotting

science8 months ago•5 min saved

Enzyme Inhibition Reverses Cartilage Degeneration Without Stem Cells

Scientists have shown in mice that inhibiting the aging enzyme 15-PGDH can regrow cartilage without stem cells, with treated cartilage thickening into hyaline cartilage and reprogramming existing joint cells to build tissue. Early tests on human cartilage also show reduced enzyme activity and initial matrix rebuilding, suggesting a potential, less invasive path to treating osteoarthritis, though research is in early stages.

via Indian Defence Review|

#15-pgdh #aging #cartilage