Salamander Regeneration as a Model for Developing Novel Regenerative and Anticancer Therapies

Salamanders can regenerate complex body structures throughout their lives, and this process can also reverse tumorigenicity. Fibroblasts are important for this regeneration, but their exact role remains unclear. Salamander fibroblasts dedifferentiate after injury, forming a blastema, which is essential for regeneration. This is different from human fibroblasts. The review explores whether salamander blastema tissue could induce regeneration and tumor regression in animals with limited regeneration abilities.

• 1
  Salamander regeneration can reverse tumorigenicity, as demonstrated by the reversion of frog tumor cells to normal tissues in regenerating limbs.
• 2
  Fibroblasts in salamanders can dedifferentiate to form a blastema, which is essential for limb regeneration. This contrasts with human fibroblasts.
• 3
  The positional identity of blastema cells, which is possibly carried by fibroblasts, ensures the correct pattern of tissue growth during regeneration.