Most complex animals, like humans, lack the ability to regenerate. In contrast, some simpler life forms are able to regenerate tissues and sometimes their whole body, if necessary.
In a new study published in Cell Reports, scientists discover clues to tissue and whole-body regeneration in cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. They discovered that aging cells send out signals that transform neighboring cells into stem cells. These stem cells are then able to regenerate the whole body of the organism.
How cool would it be to simply regenerate instead of aging?
Source:
M Salinas-Saavedra, Febrimarsa, G Krasovec, HR Horkan, AD Baxevanis, U Frank. Senescence-induced cellular reprogramming drives cnidarian whole-body regeneration. Cell Reports. 42(7): 112687, 2023.
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Categories: Aging, Extreme Animals, Nature's Solutions, Ocean Life
Tags: Cnidarian, regeneration, stem cell
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 
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