Regenerating Wings In Chick Embryos

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have successfully regenerated a wing in a chick embryo, a species not known to be able to regrow limbs. Their experiment suggests that the potential for such regeneration exists innately in all vertebrates, including humans. The study published in the online edition of Genes and Development demonstrates that vertebrate regeneration is under the control of the powerful Wnt signalling system. Lead author Dr. Juan Carlos Izpisza Belmonte, a professor in the Gene Expression Laboratory, says that once activated, Wnt signalling system overcomes the mysterious barrier to regeneration in animals like chicks that cannot normally replace missing limbs. But when inactivated, it can shut the ability to regenrate limbs even in the animals known for this quality of theirs. "In this simple experiment, we removed part of the chick embryo's wing, activated Wnt signaling, and got the whole limb back - a beautiful and perfect wing," he said. "By changing the expression of a few genes, you can change the ability of a vertebrate to regenerate their limbs, rebuilding blood vessels, bone, muscles, and skin - everything that is needed," he added.