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(CNN) - While we humans cannot regenerate their amputated limbs as salamanders do, we do have a capacity "similar to that of a salamander" to regenerate damaged cartilage, according to a new study.
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that "cartilage in human joints can repair itself through a process similar to that used by creatures such as salamanders and zebrafish to regenerate the limbs," he says. a statement from Duke Health, which helped lead the investigation.
These findings could open the door to new treatments for joint injuries and diseases such as osteoarthritis, and perhaps even lead to the regeneration of a human limb someday.
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Salamanders, axolotl and other animals with regenerative abilities have a type of molecule called microRNA, which helps regulate joint tissue repair. Humans also have microRNA, but our mechanism for cartilage repair is stronger in some parts of the body, according to the study. For example, microRNA molecules are more active in our ankles and less active in our knees and hips.
"We were excited to know that the regulators of regeneration in the limb of the salamander also appear to be the controllers of joint tissue repair in the human limb," said Duke Ming-Feng Hsueh professor and researcher in the press release. "We call it our ability to 'inner salamander'."
The study also found that the “age” of cartilage, that is, if proteins have changed their structure or have undergone amino acid conversions, depends on their location in the body. The cartilage is "young" in the ankles, "middle-aged" in the knees and "old" in the hips. This correlation aligns with how animals regenerate faster at the farthest points of their bodies, such as tails or leg tips.
These factors, the level of activity of the microRNA and the age of the cartilage, explain why ankle injuries heal faster than knee and hip injuries, and there are fewer cases of arthritis in the ankle compared to the other two areas.
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Scientists have known for years that humans have some regenerative abilities: when children's fingertips are amputated, the tip can regenerate when treated properly. But it was widely believed that these capabilities were limited and that humans were "unable to counteract the accumulated damage" in their joints, according to the study, which these new findings refute.
This has potentially huge implications for athletes or people with joint injuries. The microRNA could be injected into the joints or become medications that prevent or reverse arthritis, according to the study. In the farthest future, it could even "establish a basis for the regeneration of the human limb."
The next step is to discover what regulators humans lack that salamanders have, and then see if it is possible to "add the missing components," said Duke Professor Virginia Byers Kraus, one of the study's lead authors.
Once the missing components are identified, they could be combined with microRNA to create a "molecular cocktail" intended to regenerate entire members, according to the study.
"We believe that an understanding of this 'salamander-like' regenerative capacity in humans, and the missing critical components in this regulatory circuit, could provide the basis for new approaches to repair joint tissues and possibly complete human limbs," Kraus said.
Scientific studies