A finger on the pulse of regeneration: insights into the cellular mechanisms of adult digit tip regeneration

Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2021 May 24;70:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.04.002. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTIn mammals, multi-tissue regeneration is largely restricted to the distal portion of the digit tip and involves the formation of a blastema, a transient, proliferating cell mass that reforms the diverse tissues of the digit. Historically little was known about the mammalian blastema but with recent advances in single cell transcriptomic approaches and genetic lineage tracing, a more precise understanding of this critical structure has begun to emerge. In this review we summarise the cellular mechanisms underlying adult mammalian digit tip regeneration. We posit that understanding how some mammals naturally regenerate complex tissues will lead to strategies for enhancing regenerative abilities in humans.PMID:34044269 | DOI:10.1016/j.gde.2021.04.002

Source: Current Opinion in Genetics and Development - May 27, 2021 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Mekayla A Storer Freda D Miller Source Type: research