In a recent study in the Journal of Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, researchers from USC and the University of Pittsburgh describe how immune cells, called phagocytes, help lizards accomplish this incredible feat of regeneration.
“Lizards are the closest relatives of mammals capable of regrowing an appendage after injury,” said the study’s corresponding author Thomas Lozito, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at USC. “So lizards may offer important clues that can inform tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies in humans.”
To read more, visit https://stemcell.keck.usc.edu/lizards-immune-systems-are-not-only-for-fighting-germs-but-also-for-regrowing-severed-tails/.
