GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 30 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers are looking at ways to treat diseases using the secrets of regeneration of simple organisms like salamanders, newts and starfish.
"The Regeneration Project" initiated by researchers at the McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida will connect scientists who work with adult human stem cells with scientists who study how tissues and limbs develop in a variety of organisms, the university said in a release.
"A salamander can be injured to the point that it loses its limbs or part of its spinal column, yet a few weeks later you'll see it scurrying across your lanai," said project leader Dennis A. Steindler, executive director of the McKnight Brain Institute.
Steindler said the project will work to unlock the mysteries of tissue and organ regeneration in simple organisms and then apply the knowledge toward encouraging repair in human.
