Some animals can grow back organs after they have been removed. In particular, lower vertebrates, such as amphibians and fish, have very similar cell types and tissue organization to humans but can often regenerate tails (including the spinal cord), limbs, and parts of the eye and heart. Understanding how they can do this is a key part of the basic science research still needed in the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
We are using tadpoles to study these processes. Tadpoles will regenerate tails, including muscle and spinal cord. We are studying the origins of the cells that form the new structures, the signaling processes between cells that initiate regeneration and enable it to proceed.