A young tadpole of an anuran amphibian can completely regenerate an amputated limb, and it exhibits an ontogenetic decline in the ability to regenerate its limbs. However, whether mesenchymal or epidermal tissue is responsible for this decrease of the capacity remains unclear. Moreover, little is known about the molecular interactions between these two tissues during regeneration. The results o...

AIM In the last decade, tissue engineering has undergone enormous expansion in the fields of regenerative medicine and dentistry. In response to mechanical and chemical injuries, the dentine-pulp complex possesses a regenerative ability due to a speci?c population of mesenchymal stem cells, which have been widely described in literature. The postnatal dental pulp also contains progenitor stem c...

INTRODUCTION Decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) has been shown to promote a regenerative response when administered at the site of a wound [1]. ECM is known to recruit perivascular stem cells, polarize macrophages in an anti-inflammatory manner, and increase collagen deposition at the site of implantation. However, little is known about the mechanisms or specific components of ECM that f...

Regenerative systems are able to overcome significant perturbations, and maintain autonomously their functionality in dynamic and uncertain environments. More and more this ability of biological systems plays a role in designing technical systems, e.g., in sensor networks, as well. Important properties of regenerative systems are their dynamic structures and their operation on different spatial...

Regeneration of body structures is an ability widely but unevenly distributed amongst the animal kingdom. Understanding regenerative biology in metazoans means understanding the multiplicity of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to the differentiation, morphogenesis and ultimately the development of a particular regenerating unit. In this manuscript we critically assess the evoluti...

Neurons lose intrinsic axon regenerative ability with maturation, but the mechanism remains unclear. Using an in-vitro laser axotomy model, we show a progressive decline in the ability of cut CNS axons to form a new growth cone and then elongate. Failure of regeneration was associated with increased retraction after axotomy. Transportation into axons becomes selective with maturation; we hypoth...

Aging in many animals is characterized by a failure to maintain tissue homeostasis and the loss of regenerative capacity. In this study, the ability to maintain tissue homeostasis and regenerative potential was investigated in sea urchins, a novel model to study longevity and negligible senescence. Sea urchins grow indeterminately, regenerate damaged appendages and reproduce throughout their li...