Northeastern biologists find secret to limb regeneration in the axolotl salamander, a ‘superstar of cuteness'
'We solved that piece of the puzzle, in that we discovered a group of enzymes that break down retinoic acid,' said Monaghan.
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James Monaghan, chair and professor of biology at Northeastern, poses for a portrait on Dec. 12, 2024.
Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Like axolotls,
humans also naturally have retinoic acid. Monaghan says the findings could help scientists engineer a similar biological process to one day allow humans to regrow limbs, he said.
'Instead of generating a scar, they will turn on that biological program that made the limb in the first place,' he said.
Outside of scientific laboratories, Monaghan said he hopes axolotl fans young and old will see his team's research and learn more about their favorite animal, which last month
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'I wouldn't have known 22 years ago it would explode in popularity, and now it's become this superstar of cuteness,' he said.
Northeastern chair and professor of biology James Monaghan works with axolotls in his lab in the Mugar Life Sciences on Dec. 11, 2024.
Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
An axolotl in the Northeastern lab.
Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
'Spiderman' villain The Lizard was inspiration
Growing up in the 1980s and '90s in Carmel, Indiana, Monaghan watched Spiderman cartoons every day after school with his little brother. His favorite character was Dr. Connors, a scientist who lost an arm, regrew the limb, and became The Lizard, one of the earliest villains in the series.
Those cartoons inspired Monaghan to study limb regeneration, he said.
'Not that I want to be Dr. Connors, but maybe I can be him without the evil part,' Monaghan said, with a laugh.
Northeastern chair and professor of biology James Monaghan works with axolotls in his lab in the Mugar Life Sciences on Dec. 11, 2024.
Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Since he was 14 years old, Monaghan has held onto a Spiderman blow-up figurine that's now strung across the ceiling of his lab, which is also home to about 500 axolotls.
What are axolotls?
In the wild, axolotls are a
Culturally, they're a new internet phenomenon, especially popular with children and Gen Z, spawning an axolotl Build-a-Bear toy, a
'The best decision I made in my career is to work on the axolotl,' Monaghan said.
🎤 IT'S NOT JUST A PHASE. IT'S EMO AXOLOTL. Our angsty axolotl just dropped an emo anthem, and trust us—it's way too real. Featuring vocals by comedian and parody artist @Kyle Gordon 💔 This is a limited drop. Once he's gone, he's gone—just like your old BearSpace profile.
The animals also make great pets, Monaghan said, although the creatures can grow to over a foot long, he warned. He only works with live axolotls at the lab.
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At his home in the Boston area, Monaghan said, his 5-year-old has about 10 axolotl toys that smile down from bookshelves and bed frames.
'It's pretty surreal to see that it's become such a cultural icon,' he said.
Claire Thornton can be reached at
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