An axolotl from the colony at the MDI Biological Laboratory (IMAGE)
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The axolotl, a Mexican salamander that is now all but extinct in the wild, is a favorite model in regenerative medicine research because of its one-of-a-kind status as nature's champion of regeneration. While most salamanders have some regenerative capacity, the axolotl can regenerate almost any body part, including brain, heart, jaws, limbs, lungs, ovaries, spinal cord, skin, tail and more. A team of scientists led by James Godwin, Ph.D., of the MDI Biological Laboratory has come a step closer to unraveling the mystery of why salamanders can regenerate while adult mammals cannot with the discovery of differences in molecular signaling that promote regeneration in the axolotl, a highly regenerative salamander, while blocking it in the adult mouse.
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MDI Biological Laboratory
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