Axolotl Discovery Brings Us Closer Than Ever to Regrowing Human Limbs
Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) have the incredible ability to regenerate limbs, and even entire organs. And of course, people want to know how we might get our own human bodies to do it, too.
A team of biologists from Northeastern University and the University of Kentucky has found one of the key molecules involved in axolotl regeneration. It's a crucial component in ensuring the body grows back the right parts in the right spot: for instance, growing a hand, from the wrist.
"The cells can interpret this cue to say, 'I'm at the elbow, and then I'm going to grow back the hand' or 'I'm at the shoulder… so I'm going to then enable those cells to grow back the entire limb'," biologist James Monaghan explains.
That molecule, retinoic acid, is arranged through the axolotl body in a gradient, signaling to regenerative cells how far down the limb has been severed.
Closer to the shoulder, axolotls have higher levels of retinoic acid, and lower levels of the enzyme that breaks it down. This ratio changes the further the limb extends from the body.
The team found this balance between retinoic acid and the enzyme that breaks it down plays a crucial role in 'programming' the cluster of regenerative cells that form at an injury site.
When they added surplus retinoic acid to the hand of an axolotl in the process of regenerating, it grew an entire arm instead.
In theory, the human body has the right molecules and cells to do this too, but our cells respond to the signals very differently, instead forming collagen-based scars at injury sites. Next, Monaghan is keen to find out what's going on inside cells – the axolotl's, and our own – when those retinoic acid signals are received.
"If we can find ways of making our fibroblasts listen to these regenerative cues, then they'll do the rest. They know how to make a limb already because, just like the salamander, they made it during development," Monaghan says.
"It could help with scar-free wound healing but also something even more ambitious, like growing back an entire finger," he adds. "It's not out of the realm [of possibility] to think that something larger could grow back like a hand."
The research is published in Nature Communications.
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Yahoo
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Mim8 prophylaxis treatment shown to be well-tolerated when switching from emicizumab in people with hemophilia A in new phase 3 data presented at the ISTH 2025 Congress
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"Continuous prophylactic coverage is critical to avoiding breakthrough bleeds in people living with hemophilia; with new non-factor therapeutic options, many people could have hesitations about switching treatment options. These data demonstrate that switching to Mim8 from emicizumab can be done without requiring a washout period," said Allison P. Wheeler, MD, Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders, Seattle, WA. "This is critical in ensuring that individuals maintain continuous protection against bleeding events as we seek to help address the ongoing needs of people living with this complex disease." In the open-label phase 3 FRONTIER5 safety study, 61 adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with hemophilia A were enrolled.3 No thromboembolic events, hypersensitivity reactions, or treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) leading to discontinuation were observed, and there was no evidence of neutralizing anti-Mim8 antibodies.1 Additional safety information from FRONTIER5 demonstrate that between Week 0 and Week 26 of treatment, there were 107 TEAEs observed in 43 patients (70.5%), most of which were mild to moderate (88.6%). There were 24 TEAEs that were possibly/probably related to Mim8 reported in 18 patients (29.5%). No thromboembolic events, hypersensitivity reactions, or TEAEs leading to discontinuation were observed.1 The PROs data from FRONTIER5 indicated overall (97%; n=57/59) patients preferred the Mim8 pen injection, with 97% of those patients reporting a "very strong" or "fairly strong" preference in comparison to their previous emicizumab injection system. Of the participants who completed the Hemophilia Device Handling and Preference Assessment (HDHPA) questionnaire at week 26, 98% (n=58/59) found the Mim8 pen-injector "very easy" or "easy" to use, and 95% (n=56/59) found it "much easier" or "easier" compared with their previous administration method. All participants (100%) were "extremely confident" or "very confident" in using the pen-injector correctly.2 "The FRONTIER5 safety and patient-reported outcomes data support Mim8 as a potential future treatment option for people living with hemophilia A and demonstrate our continued commitment to developing innovative treatment options for the hemophilia community," said Stephanie Seremetis, Chief Medical Officer and CVP for Rare Disease at Novo Nordisk. "These results give valuable insights into hemophilia A management, highlight the feasibility of directly switching to Mim8 from emicizumab, and reveal a strong patient preference for the Mim8 pen-injector device." Novo Nordisk aims to submit Mim8 for U.S. and EU regulatory review during 2025. Data from the ongoing phase 3 FRONTIER program will be disclosed at upcoming congresses and in publications in 2025 and 2026. About hemophiliaHemophilia is a rare inherited bleeding disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding.4 It is estimated to affect approximately 1,125,000 people worldwide.5 There are different types of hemophilia, which are characterized by the type of clotting factor protein that is defective or missing.4 Hemophilia A is caused by a missing or defective clotting Factor VIII (FVIII), and hemophilia B is caused by a missing or defective clotting Factor IX.4 Inhibitors are an immune system response to the clotting factors in replacement therapy. Currently, it is estimated that up to 30% of people living with severe hemophilia A have inhibitors that can cause replacement therapies to stop working.6 About Mim8Mim8 is an investigational FVIIIa mimetic bispecific antibody designed with the aim to deliver once-monthly, once-every-two-weeks, or once-weekly prophylaxis for people living with hemophilia A, with or without inhibitors.7,8 Administered under the skin, Mim8 bridges Factor IXa and Factor X. This action replaces FVIII function, which helps restore the body's thrombin generation capacity, helping blood to clot.7,9 The use of Mim8 in people living with hemophilia A is investigational and not approved by regulatory authorities or available anywhere in the world. About the FRONTIER5 trialFRONTIER5 is a single-arm, open-label, 26-week, phase 3b trial evaluating the safety of switching from previous emicizumab prophylaxis treatment directly to Mim8 prophylaxis treatment using the Mim8 pen-injector in adults and adolescents with hemophilia A, with or without inhibitors.1 The FRONTIER clinical program investigates Mim8 as a prophylaxis treatment for people with hemophilia A, with or without inhibitors. The phase 3 program includes FRONTIER1, FRONTIER2, FRONTIER3, FRONTIER4 and FRONTIER5.1,8,10-12 About Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company that's been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for more than 100 years. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to drive change to help people defeat other serious chronic diseases such as obesity, rare blood, and endocrine disorders. We remain steadfast in our conviction that the formula for lasting success is to stay focused, think long-term, and do business in a financially, socially, and environmentally responsible way. With a U.S. presence spanning 40 years, Novo Nordisk U.S. is headquartered in New Jersey and employs over 10,000 people throughout the country across 12 manufacturing, R&D, and corporate locations in eight states plus Washington DC. For more information, visit Facebook, Instagram, and X. Contacts for further information: Media: Liz Skrbkova (US)+1 609 917 0632NNIMediaTeam@ James-Brown (Global)+45 3079 9289Globalmedia@ Investors: Frederik Taylor Pitter (US) +1 609 613 0568fptr@ Martin Wiborg Rode (Global)+45 3075 5956jrde@ Meyer (Global) +45 3079 6656 azey@ Schaap Melvold (Global) +45 3077 5649 idmg@ Ung (Global)+45 3077 6414mxun@ References Oldenberg J, Benson G, Chowdaryet P, et al. FRONTIER5 direct switch study: safety of initiating Mim8 prophylaxis without washout of emicizumab. Oral presentation presented at the Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 2025; June 21-25 2025; Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C., US. Session code 13686. Mahlangu J, Ahuja S, Cockrell E, et al. FRONTIER5 device handling and patient-reported outcomes. Oral presentation presented at the Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 2025; June 21–25 2025; Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C., US. Session code 13786. A Research Study Looking at How Safe it is to Switch From Emicizumab to Mim8 in People With Haemophilia A (FRONTIER5). Last accessed May 2025. Available at MedlinePlus. Hemophilia. Last accessed May 2025. Available at Iorio A, Stonebraker JS, Chambost H, et al. Establishing the Prevalence and Prevalence at Birth of Hemophilia in Males: A Meta-analytic Approach Using National Registries. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171:540-546. Kim JY, You CW. The prevalence and risk factors of inhibitor development of FVIII in previously treated patients with hemophilia A. Blood Res. 2019;54:204-209. Ostergaard H, Lund J, Greisen PJ, et al. A factor VIIIa-mimetic bispecific antibody, Mim8, ameliorates bleeding upon severe vascular challenge in hemophilia A mice. Blood. 2021;138:1258-1268. A Research Study Looking at Long-term Treatment With Mim8 in People With Haemophilia A (FRONTIER4). Last accessed May 2025. Available at U.S. National Library of Medicine. F8 gene. MedlinePlus Genetics. Last accessed May 2025. Available at A Research Study Investigating Mim8 in People With Haemophilia A. Last accessed June 2025. Available at A Research Study Investigating Mim8 in Adults and Adolescents With Haemophilia A With or Without Inhibitors. Last accessed May 2025. Available at A Research Study Looking at Mim8 in Children With Haemophilia A With or Without Inhibitors. Last accessed May 2025. Available at Novo Nordisk is a registered trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S. © 2025 Novo Nordisk All rights reserved. US25HRBD00174 June 2025 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Novo Nordisk Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
White House Aims To Halt Fantastical NASA Missions Across Solar System
The New Horizons spacecraft sends back its sensational snapshots of Jupiter, and its volcanic moon ... More Io, before the mission's close encounter with Pluto (Photo by: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images The White House bid to terminate NASA's leading-edge flights of exploration 'across the solar system' threatens to explode American leadership in discoveries that have reshaped civilization since the rise of the first Space Age, says one of the world's top planetary scientists. As space powers across the continents vie to map and image planets and moons, comets and ice-worlds circling the sun, slashes to NASA's funding would represent a great leap backward, crippling it even as rivals race ahead, says Alan Stern, a one-time leader at NASA and a globally acclaimed space scientist. The president's new proposed budget drastically cuts appropriations for NASA, with outlays for its planetary science missions—the exploration of Pluto and other celestial worlds by space-borne rockets and robots, cameras and telescopes—axed almost in half. Now facing the guillotine—inexplicably—are constellations of technologically advanced space probes developed by NASA and spearheading scientists across America, including the Juno imager now orbiting Jupiter, the Mars Odyssey and Maven spacecraft gliding above Mars and the asteroid hunter OSIRIS-Apophis. NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, in orbit around Mars, is one of the leading-edge explorers slated to ... More be terminated by the White House. Shown here is an artist's impression of the orbiter. (Photo) Getty Images 'Incredibly, this budget proposes to turn off 55 perfectly working, productive spacecraft across the solar system,' Dr. Stern, who once headed NASA's Science Mission Directorate, tells me in an interview. Stern took up that post after conceiving and designing one of the American space agency's most sensational missions ever - the New Horizons spacecraft that aced a close approach with Pluto while sending back fantastical images of the otherworldly orb and its moons - a miniature planetary system that generated billions of hits when it began beaming down across NASA's website. While New Horizons continues its super-speed flight through the outer solar system, charting the mysterious frozen reaches of the Kuiper belt, the president's plan calls for the spacecraft to be cast away. Abandoning the $900-million mission in order to recoup the minimal costs of its ongoing operation makes no sense economically or scientifically, Stern says. The robotic photographer New Horizons images Pluto as it speeds through the outer solar system ... More (Photo by NASA/APL/SwRI via Getty Images) Getty Images 'With New Horizons,' he says, 'there are a lot of important scientific objectives still ahead, things no other spacecraft can do.' 'Terminating this mission would also represent a tragic loss of soft power projection for the U.S.' The Horizons craft, and its array of next-generation cameras and spectrometers, is exploring a region beyond Pluto that no other human-created probe has ever entered, with a treasure trove of potential discoveries waiting. 'This would be like sending a message to [Christopher] Columbus to sink his ships while they were in North America,' Stern tells me, upending a new age of discovery. 'With New Horizons, we have the power and the fuel to run this mission for another 20 years … and we have more Kuiper belt objects to explore.' The White House, in issuing its slashed budget plan for NASA, never provided a logical rationale for torpedoing some of the agency's world-leading missions to survey and image the solar system. Its inscrutable sinking of some of these vanguard voyages was unveiled with the terseness of a telegram: 'Operating missions that have completed their prime missions (New Horizons and Juno) and the follow-on mission to OSIRIX-REx, OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer, are eliminated.' The asteroid-hunter OSIRIS spacecraft, shown here at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is one of ... More the trailblazers set to be terminated by the White House. (Photo by Bruce Weaver / AFP) (Photo by BRUCE WEAVER/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images The OSIRIS spacecraft, which had been slated to rendezvous with the closely approaching Apophis asteroid ahead, is a precursor mission to defending the Earth's eight billion citizens against doomsday cosmic strikes by colossal comets or asteroids of the future. The robotic photographer Juno has snapped an endless kaleidoscope of imagery as it floats around Jupiter. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab have posted raw impressions of the orb and its moons and invited 'citizen scientists' to Photoshop and launch them across the cybersphere. In the process, they are becoming part of the spacefaring civilization that is spreading out across the globe. Model of the $1-billion Juno spacecraft, which is now orbiting and photographing Jupiter (Photo by ... More) Getty Images During its own space odyssey, New Horizons has astounded stargazers, students and scholars worldwide with its technicolor panoramas of Pluto, covered in surreal ice-fields and cryo-volcanoes, and its age-old companion Charon. The twin netherworlds—named after the mythical Greek god of the underworld and the pilot who shuttled souls across the river Styx—circle more than five billion kilometers distant from the sun, along an orbit that Stern's Pluto expedition took nine years to reach. Now, even as it whizzes beyond all of the classical planets, New Horizons, and its future, has entered the purgatory of potential excommunication by mission controllers—and their masters—six worlds away. The New Horizons spacecraft, now speeding through the outer solar system, could be jettisoned under ... More a White House plan that would destroy American leadership in planetary science missions. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images) Heritage Images via Getty Images 'This is a vast and tragic mistake,' Stern says, 'because the issue is larger than just NASA, it also affects U.S. world leadership [and] responsible government that protects taxpayers from waste like this.' The administration's crash-and-burn dismissal of the solar system's trailblazing robotic discoverers has triggered trepidation across NASA, whose ranks of pioneering scientists are likewise set to be culled. Within NASA, Alan Stern is a pole star of cutting-edge exploration, helping guide more than two dozen missions. After his New Horizons spacecraft rendezvoused with Pluto, the agency bestowed its highest honor on him - the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. 'Stern led the team that returned remarkable imagery and other data from the Pluto system last summer, generating headlines worldwide and setting a record for the farthest world ever explored,' NASA's leaders said. "New Horizons represents the best of humanity and reminds us of why we explore,' added Jim Green, NASA's director of planetary science. "The first flyby of Pluto is a remarkable achievement.' Being given the chance to lead the close encounter with Pluto, Stern said on accepting the award, 'has been the greatest honor of my lifetime.' Around the same time, NASA film-makers paid tribute to Stern, his 2000+ Pluto mission colleagues, and the target of their interplanetary expedition in the captivating documentary ' The Year of Pluto .' Stern has himself chronicled his trek across the twilight reaches of the star system in a stream of fascinating books, including Pluto and Charon: Ice Worlds on the Ragged Edge of the Solar System and Chasing New Horizons, and in a torrent of acclaimed papers . Scholar Stern predicts that if the White House's proposed death sentence for flotillas of pathfinding space missions is actually carried out, that would mark the decline and fall of NASA's planetary science breakthroughs, and the comparative rise of its competitors in the renewed space race of the 2020s. If NASA's funding and inter-planet journeys are decimated, he tells me, 'These cuts will absolutely destroy U.S. leadership in all the space sciences.' 'This is tragically misguided.' The potential death knell for an armada of space discovery missions has been reverberating not just across NASA, but also throughout the U.S. universities that help conceive or design these flights. 'Certainly termination of the New Horizons mission would be terrible,' says Kip Hodges , who as founding director of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration helped transform the university into one of the top American space studies centers. 'This a real frontier mission at this point,' he tells me in an interview, 'delivering important new information about distant parts of our Sun's heliosphere.' Congress has the power to save NASA and its leading-edge robotic explorers across the solar system ... More (Illustration by Tobias Roetsch/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Future Publishing via Getty Images Professor Hodges , one of the top space scholars in the U.S., predicts that the Swords of Damocles now hanging above New Horizons and other new-frontier flights could still be lifted. If the White House plan to cut away at NASA and its revolutionary planetary scouting missions were enacted as is, he predicts, 'a great many folks in industry, the NASA labs, and academia will be disappointed.' Yet he adds that 'the budget for NASA evolves over several stages,' with the president's initial proposal just one of competing models—one that could be rejected as the Senate and House of Representatives look afresh at NASA's missions, goals and funding. After the twin chambers reach a consensus on reshaping NASA for the next phase of its evolution, Professor Hodges adds, 'Quite often, the appropriated budget is not the president's budget.' That means space aficionados across America who seek to overturn the president's capital sentence on NASA's boundary-breaking missions have a clear channel of recourse, Stern says. Would-be petitioners for a reprieve, he advises, 'should contact their elected representatives in Congress and tell them this is a huge mistake.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
This Poop 'Cure' May Have Unintended Long-Term Effects, Study Finds
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