Scientists have discovered that special cells called senescent cells can help create new muscle cells to regenerate lost limbs in salamanders. Senescent cells usually linked to aging and disease, but researchers found out that it can make limb regeneration faster by telling the muscle fibers to go back to old state. This discovery could mean new treatments for age-related diseases are possible in the future.
Senescent cells are cells that have stopped reproducing, but they’re still alive. As we get older, the number of these cells increases in our bodies. Researchers believe this growth could be linked to sicknesses such as cancer, but it’s also possible that senescent cells can have a different role depending on the situation.
Evidence shows that senescent cells does not only have bad effects, but it could help with tasks like wound healing and tissue repair. Scientists are researching if these cells help in the process of regeneration as it has already been seen in salamanders and mammals by different groups. To find out more, Dr. Maximina Yun from Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) and the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) created a research group that is working together with the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG).
“Healing Power of Salamanders
Researchers are studying salamanders. These animals have special abilities and can make a new limb if they lose one! Dr. Yun explains, “Salamanders can regrow a whole limb in just a few weeks – it’s amazing!”
Researchers from the Yun group wanted to find out how senescent cells affect the limb regeneration process. They tried to change the number of these cells in an area where something has been cut or wounded. After their test, they noticed that having more senescent cells actually improved the healing process!
When there were more old cells around a wound, the animal got a bigger bud of regenerated cells. This bud is called a ‘blastema’. The larger the blastema was, the faster the new limb would regrow since there will be more cells for it to use. Dr. Yun believes that senescent cells help speed up this process and make regeneration happen quickly.
Senescent Cells Boost Limb Regeneration
The researchers compared how the blastema grows with and without senescent cells, and discovered a new process which helps with regeneration. They found that senescent cells actually cause more muscle cells to form. This is because they release special substances that make the nearby muscle tissue start over-growing again and become new muscles.
The research by Dr. Yun has found out that old cells are talking to each other in order to help with the regeneration process. They send out molecules which tell regular muscle cells to become younger. These younger cells can then reproduce and change into new muscle cells, therefore aiding this regeneration. This form of communication seems like it is very important for successful regrowth of muscles.
Right now, the group is paying attention to the most essential tissue when it comes to limb regeneration: muscle. They are also looking into if ‘senescent’ cells can help in regenerating other body parts as well.
The Mystery of Salamander Aging and Healing
Dr. Yun and his team are studying how salamanders age and heal. Salamanders don’t seem to age like other animals do, meaning that they don’t get diseases normally found in older people, such as cancer. They also have amazing abilities when it comes to healing their bodies – they can regenerate almost any organ!
Dr. Yun and her team at the CRTD are studying salamanders to figure out how regeneration works. This research might help us understand why humans can’t heal in the same way. The research was published in a journal called Aging Cell on April 6th, 2023.
