• Question: People say they are doing research with the DNA of lizards and they have a gene which helps them to grow their tail back again if cut or taken off ? Couldn't us as developed humans us their DNA as an example as do the same to humans? It could be a huge benefit to us, whenever we get hurt or recieve cuts!

    Asked by to Edward, Ian, Mathew, Naomi on 25 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Ian Stephenson

      Ian Stephenson answered on 25 Jun 2014:

      well we’re probably not going to invent a way for people to grow tails…

      but yes, by studying how lizards re-grow their tails, and understanding that mechanism it could help us understand better how cells regenerate.

      That has lots of implications for treating all sorts of disease. Disesase associated with old age are obvious candidates, as in old age our cells stop regenerating, but cancer is another field it could be useful. Especially as following most current cancer treatments damage our immunise system and other body functions, so helping them to recover would be a big step.

      We’re probably a long way from using it on cuts and scratches, but then again when I was a kid and I cut myself (frequently) they gave me a bunch of injections and sewed me up. Now they just pour in some antiseptic anaesthetic glue and push it closed! Maybe in 20 years time they’ll have a liquid you just pour in to speed healing.

    • Photo: Naomi Osborne

      Naomi Osborne answered on 25 Jun 2014:

      Interesting question!

      A lot of reptiles can re-grow limbs and this is because they have cells that can change into different types of cells, such as blood and skin. We also have basic cells called stem cells that can change into different cells like muscle and nerve, but our bodies are too complex to regrow a limb and if we could it would take too long.

      Although we may not grow new limbs using stem cells, I think we could one day use them to heal wounds more quickly. After all, they’re already using them to grow whole organs! There are stem cell banks where you can store your cells in hope that in the near future we’ll have the technology to grow new organs whens ours fail!

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