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

Julie Webb

Writer

Julie began her career as a researcher in genetics. In 2000 she won a Wellcome Trust award for her work on a collaborative science drama, staged at the Edinburgh Festival. She now works as a freelance science writer and communicator.

• Image by Nick Love, an entrant in the Society of Biology 2012 Photography competition
• Part of the Society of Biology's 'Biology Week'
• Image provided by the Society of Biology
• Research published in Nat Cell Biol. 15(2): 222-228