Everyone knows that if you grab a lizard by the tail, she can swing it to be free. To date, however, was not quite clear how the lizards could grow a new tail.
Recently, researchers from the Institute all tgen and Arizona state University found RNA switches (microRNAs), which make possible the regeneration of muscle, cartilage and spine. In a study published in the journal BMC Genomics, scientists have identified three microRNAs, which turn on and off genes that control the regeneration of the tail green anolis (Anolis carolinensis).
The researchers hope that in the next six years, the work in this direction will lead to the creation of new techniques that will allow you to enable regeneration genes in the human body.
“MicroRNA control of many genes, as well as the conductor manages an orchestra. In the regeneration involves hundreds of genes, and found three microRNAs play in this mechanism an important role,” said Dr. Kenro, Kusumi (Kenro Kusumi), the study’s lead author.
Dr. Elizabeth Hutchings (Elizabeth Hutchins), who also took part in the study, is convinced that the results obtained in the future will find application in medicine: will the developed technique of regenerating cartilage in the knees, spinal cord and muscles.
“My interest is due to the possibility of transfer of its results to humans. Unfortunately, today, doctors still can not artificially grow, for example, the cartilage of the knee joint, which is so needed for many people, for example, my grandmother,” says Hutchins.
“Our work confirms the importance of tiny RNA molecules for tissue regeneration. As it turned out, microRNAs are distributed asymmetrically in the restored tissues of the tail. In General, the mechanism of regeneration involving RNA switches with something like sculpting of the tail from clay,” says Dr. Marco Mangan (Marco Mangone), co-author and assistant researchers.
Studying regeneration in lizards
Alex Kudrin