According to the findings of some experts, research into the process by which lizards repair their tails might help advance efforts to obtain comparable outcomes in human cartilage. People who have this degenerative condition, which is the most prevalent kind of arthritis in the United Kingdom, experience swelling and soreness in their joints. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for it. So, it may seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but experts believe that it is possible to transfer the unusual healing ability of lizards to humans.
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Researchers from the University of Southern California have provided the world’s first comprehensive explanation of how two distinct types of cells work together to assist reptiles in regaining access to their appendages. Lizards are one of the few higher animals that are capable of cartilage regeneration that does not result in the formation of bone. This “mystical” capacity to replace bone as the major structural tissue should give insight for future investigations into how to regenerate cartilage that has been destroyed by osteoarthritis, according to Professor Thomas Lozito, one of the authors.
This represents an important step because we need to understand the process in great detail before we can try to recreate it in mammals, stated Professor Thomas Lozito.
According to the results of the researchers, a lizard’s new tail is nearly entirely composed of cartilage, and the essential cell type that contributes to its construction is called fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are also one of the cell types that help develop tissue. That’s very remarkable, don’t you think? In light of what they had discovered, the group investigated the possibility of re-creating the process of regenerative growth in lizard limbs, which, in contrast to tails, do not regrow.
And this is the main point of it! In addition, the researchers discovered that the immune cell known as septoclast plays an important part in preventing scarring and allowing regeneration to take place. The next step for the group is to investigate whether or not they can stimulate cartilage growth in mice utilizing the same techniques.
