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Biology Week A Tadpole's Tale
15 October 2013

A Tadpole's Tale

Renewal of damaged or lost body organs – called tissue regeneration – is one of the most dynamic areas of biomedical research today. Much research is focussed on stem cells but a lot can also be learned from studying organisms that already have the capacity for regeneration. Tadpoles, for example, have the ability to regrow their tail when it's lost or damaged. But a tail is complex: it contains muscle, spinal cord, blood vessels and skin, in a specific order so rebuilding it is no mean feat of cellular organisation. Here, to simplify research, scientists made the regeneration process visible over time by marking the nervous system [brain and spinal cord] with a green fluorescent tag. The approach was fruitful; they identified new factors that stimulate multiple biochemical pathways, which in turn lead to new tissue growth. Eventually, these investigations could lead to novel therapies to heal human disfigurements.

Written by Julie Webb

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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