How Chinese scientists cracked the secret of organ regeneration
Advertisement
While the
scientific journey to achieving organ regeneration in humans remains long and challenging, the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, has offered the researchers hope.
Last week, co-corresponding authors Wang Wei and Deng Ziqing published their findings that a mouse's inability to regenerate was due to its failure to produce enough
retinoic acid , a derivative of vitamin A that regulates which cell type emerges during development and tissue repair.
The scientists said they were able to reactivate the regeneration of the mouse ear by turning on an 'evolutionarily disabled genetic switch', which led to the
complete restoration of lost tissues in a hole punched through their outer ear , including cartilage.
Wang, an assistant investigator at the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, said the team would continue their research to determine when mice lost their ability to
regenerate during evolution
Advertisement
'The ability to regenerate appears to contribute to the survival of animals,' he said in an interview. 'Why was this ability lost as species evolved?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Mathematician Zhang Yitang says he left US for China due to political climate
Mathematician Zhang Yitang, who joined Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou from California in June, has called the wave of Chinese researchers exiting the US a 'positive trend'. Zhang, known for his prime number research, told Phoenix TV, a partially state-owned broadcaster, in a programme aired on Monday that he had been thinking about returning to the mainland 'in light of recent international political issues that have strained China-US relations'. 'Many Chinese scholars and professors in the US have already returned, and many others are still considering it,' Zhang said. 'I think this is a positive trend.' 'My field is not greatly affected, but for researchers in computers, chips or anything related to the military industry, they need to be especially careful,' he warned. 'The US is very strict about these areas now.' Zhang (left) receives his letter of appointment as a full-time faculty member at Sun Yat-sen University's Institute of Advanced Studies Hong Kong on June 27, 2025. Photo: Handout Zhang said that one advantage of studying mathematics, especially theoretical mathematics, was not having to be tied to a particular place.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump tariffs spark India-China reset, Chinese city's biotech dream: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing The world's two most-populous countries made significant progress on the diplomatic front recently, and those championing such moves may have Washington to thank. South China's Guangdong province has announced its ambition to join the country's race to expand its commercial space sector, promising financial and policy support for companies wanting to build low-orbit satellite constellation systems and promote their application in futuristic industries including space mining and space tourism. Ilustration: Brian Wang Could a city best known for its classical gardens and ancient canals emerge as China's answer to Boston – the global epicentre of biotechnology innovation?
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Knee surgery patients with ‘penicillin allergy' face higher infection risk: study
Patients labelled as allergic to penicillin – usually incorrectly – are three times more likely to develop a serious joint infection after knee surgery as they receive weaker antibiotics, a Hong Kong study has found, with researchers urging them to seek an evaluation especially before their operation. A team from the University of Hong Kong, which released the findings of the study on Wednesday, said that about 90 per cent of patients recorded as being allergic to the commonly used antibiotic were wrongly labelled. 'We found that if patients are wrongly labelled as allergic to penicillin, there can be a very serious consequence, which is infection,' said study co-leader Dr Steve Cheung Man-hong, an honorary clinical assistant professor in the department of orthopaedics and traumatology at HKU. 'There should be appropriate and timely evaluation on allergy labels.' The study analysed 4,730 patients who had undergone knee replacement surgery at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam between 1993 and 2001. Among them, 165 were labelled allergic to penicillin, the most common and first-line antibiotic used by doctors before joint surgery to prevent infections.
