Frogs briefly treated with a five-drug cocktail administered by a wearable bioreactor were able to regrow a functional, nearly complete limb
Vocabulary
limb | / lim / n. an arm or leg of a person or four-legged animal, or a bird's wing. The war caused the loss of life and limbs. |
province | /ˈprävəns/ sphere or field of activity or authority Regrowth of legs and arms is the province of salamanders and superheroes. |
trigger | /ˈtriɡər/ v. cause (an event or situation) to happen or exist. Stress could trigger an allergy. |
cocktail | /ˈkäkˌtāl/ n. an alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or several spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice, lemonade, or cream. |
feature | /ˈfēCHər/ v, have as a prominent attribute or aspect. |
Comprehension Questions
1. What are the reasons for patients who have lost limbs?
2. What province is of the salamanders and superheroes?
3. What do scientists at Tufts and Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have brought us a step closer to?
4. What is silicone wearable bioreactor dome used for?
5. What are humans capable of according to this article?
Article
For millions of patients who have lost limbs for reasons ranging from diabetes to trauma, the possibility of regaining function through natural regeneration remains out of reach. Regrowth of legs and arms is the province of salamanders and superheroes.
But in a study published in the journal Science Advances, scientists at Tufts and Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have brought us a step closer to the goal of regenerative medicine.
On adult frogs, which are naturally unable to regenerate limbs, the researchers were able to trigger regrowth of a lost leg using a five-drug cocktail applied in a silicone wearable bioreactor dome that seals in the elixir over the stump for just 24 hours. That brief treatment sets in motion an 18-month period of regrowth that restores a functional leg.
The five-drug cocktail represents a significant milestone toward the restoration of fully functional frog limbs and suggests further exploration of drug and growth factor combinations could lead to regrown limbs that are even more functionally complete, with normal digits, webbing, and more detailed skeletal and muscular features.
"We'll be testing how this treatment could apply to mammals next," said corresponding author Michael Levin, Vannevar Bush Professor of Biology in the School of Arts & Sciences, director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts, and associate faculty member of the Wyss Institute.
Many creatures have the capability of full regeneration of at least some limbs, including salamanders, starfish, crabs, and lizards. Flatworms can even be cut up into pieces, with each piece reconstructing an entire organism. Humans are capable of closing wounds with new tissue growth, and our livers have a remarkable, almost flatworm-like capability of regenerating to full size after a 50% loss.
Reference:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220126144001.htm