Certain species of amphibians and reptiles easily regrow limbs after losing them in times of danger, but tissue regeneration is much more limited in mammals. Now, researchers describe a species of African mouse that can slough off and regrow skin tissue—including hair follicles—as good as new, possibly helping the animal evade predators. Published today (September 26) in Nature, the research offers scientists a new model for studying mammalian tissue regeneration.
The results are “interesting and amazing,” showing that the African spiny mouse “has the capacity to heal very large wounds,” said molecular biologist Ken Muneoka, who studies mammalian tissue regeneration at Tulane University but was not involved in the study.
The ability to lose and regenerate tissue, known as autotomy, is a well-studied phenomenon. Certain species of amphibians easily regenerate full limbs after amputation. Some lizards use autotomy as a survival tactic, having evolved tails that break off easily but ...
