The following article appeared in 'The Telegraph' today:
"SCIENTISTS have made a significant advance in efforts to regrow missing body parts and tissue without forming scars.
Dr Ellen Heber-Katz and her research team at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia have identified the genetic code linked with tissue regeneration.
For years, it was thought that at some time during evolution mammals lost the ability to regenerate missing body parts in the way that amphibians can. Then Dr Heber-Katz identified a "healer" mouse capable of regenerating ear tissue and the tips of their tails.
In a paper published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Heber-Katz identified six regions on five different chromosomes that appear to be responsible for wound healing and regeneration in mammals.
Although the researchers have not yet identified the precise region that is responsible for regeneration, one gene is a receptor for retinoic acid, known to play a role in the growth of skin. Once the genes have been located, it may be possible to develop gene therapy or drugs to activate the regeneration process in patients, for instance amputees, to mimic what is now possible with the mice."
It seems odd that loss of such useful functionality would be favoured
by natural selection - one would think that this ability would give
those who possess it a very significant advantage over those who do
not, after all. But maybe that's why those who lost it had to evolve,
in order to maintain some sort of competitive edge!
/Gary