Hydra vulgaris constantly replenish the cells in their heads and grow new ones to reproduce asexually. But gene expression analyses reveal that regenerating a head after an injury is a very different process.
Geckos injected with neural stem cells modified to block cartilage growth developed the skeletal and nervous components normally lacking from regrown tails.
While regeneration has long been the domain of colonial tunicates, a solitary species of sea squirt was able to regenerate into multiple, fully functional individuals within a month of being cut up.
Scientists uncover the promise of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), also known as medicinal signaling cells, to modulate the immune system and regenerate tissue.
Understanding biology’s software—the rules that enable great plasticity in how cell collectives generate reliable anatomies—is key to advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.