Innate Mechanisms of Spinal Cord Regeneration
Valentina Cigliola, an assistant professor from Vanderbilt University’s Department of Pharmacology, presented a talk on spinal cord regeneration, hosted by Assistant Professor of Biology Erin Jimenez.
Cigliola discussed zebrafish spinal regeneration and its potential applicability to humans. Zebrafish, or Danio rerio, can regrow spinal neurons in under 10 weeks, making them a key to unlocking regeneration in humans.
Zebrafish, or Danio rerio, could just be the key to unlocking regeneration in humans.
Understanding the innate mechanisms of spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish may reveal how to induce regeneration in adult mammals. Unlike zebrafish, humans do not possess the same regenerative abilities.
Author's summary: Zebrafish may hold the key to human spinal regeneration.