Leopard Gecko (IMAGE) University of Guelph Caption A U of G researcher has discovered the spinal cord of the gecko's tail houses a special type of stem cell known as the radial glia. When the tail detaches, these cells jump into action by proliferating and making different proteins in response to the injury. The result is a brand new spinal cord. This finding has implications for developing a way to treat humans with spinal cord injuries. Credit Vickaryous Lab Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.