Find a way to regrow frog limbs after amputation

US researchers have managed to regrow the amputated legs of frogs, offering hope that the same could one day be achieved in humans.

Few animals have the ability to regenerate limbs like salamanders, starfish, crabs or even lizards. Normally, in adult frogs, this is not possible. Tadpoles have the ability to grow legs, but when they grow into frogs, they will lose this.

Creating a special biological "silicone hat" placed at the amputation site of the frog's leg will stimulate the area to grow back the lost limb.

However, American scientists have managed to regrow the amphibian's amputated legs. Researchers from Harvard University and TUFTS placed a "silicone hat" on the ends of frogs' hind legs shortly after they were amputated.

The "silicone hat" acts as a dome-shaped protective bandage, containing a mixture of five drugs including anti-inflammatory drugs, to promote healing and stimulate the growth of vessels. blood.

The researchers left the "silicone hat" for 24 hours on the frog's amputation site. Over a period of 18 months, they discovered that the legs of this animal had grown back, became sensitive and active as usual, the amputated frogs were able to swim again.

In addition, this "silicone hat" helps the frog's severed legs avoid the natural tendency to scar, and is sterile and creates an environment similar to the amniotic fluid environment during pregnancy. frogs to stimulate limb regeneration.

Normally, when wounds heal, they are covered with skin cells, which helps protect them from infection, but prevents rebuilding of the limb.

This work opens up new research directions for all patients with accidental leg amputation, or diabetes, but this is not yet applicable in humans. Because mammals are born without the ability to regenerate organs like a tadpole. Therefore, it is much more complicated to reprogram human cells to rebuild themselves.

But with success in frogs, scientists have shown that with medical assistance, a limb can awaken its ability to self-heal and grow. This is already a remarkable discovery, and the researchers plan to continue testing it in mammals such as mice.