Periodic Reporting for period 3 - RegGeneMems (Understanding the evolution of regeneration-permissive gene expression and positional memory in Axolotl limb regeneration)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-01-01 bis 2022-06-30
We are working on understanding how, over evolution, the axolotl, which has a body plan similar to humans, evolved the ability to regenerate the limb. We are working on a specific growth factor that has changed its expression characteristics in axolotl compared to all other four-legged animals. We testing how this changed expression affects regeneration, and whether converting the pattern in axolotl to the mammalian one prevents regeneration.
This knowledge will help us to engineer adult sized tissues to replace damaged tissues.
Our goal is to understand how a successful example of regeneration works in order to understand how to promote regeneration in non-regenerative contexts.
This knowledge will help us to engineer adult sized tissues to replace damaged tissues.
Our goal is to understand how a successful example of regeneration works in order to understand how to promote regeneration in non-regenerative contexts.
We have identified how the expression of the growth factor fgf8 changes over regeneration and in different sized animals. We have identified the genetic sequences that control its expression, and compared this to the human equivalent sequences.
We have identified how the expression of the growth factor fgf8 changes over regeneration and in different sized animals. We have identified the genetic sequences that control its expression, and compared this to the human equivalent sequences.