Simulation of adult limb regeneration with lizard tail spinal cord implants reveals distinct roles of radial glia and microglia populations

Lizards can regrow their tails but not their limbs. This study looks at why, focusing on the spinal cord tissue in the tail. The spinal cord contains radial glia and microglia, which are important for suppressing scar formation and promoting new tissue growth in the tail. By implanting tail spinal cord tissue into amputated lizard limbs, the researchers were able to stimulate blastema formation, which is the first step in regeneration.

• 1
  Radial glia contribute Hedgehog signals that cause fibroblast proliferation but do not affect fibrosis.
• 2
  Microglia enhance fibroblast sensitivity to Hedgehog signaling and inhibit differentiation into fibrocytes.
• 3
  Lizard limbs contain all the necessary cell types and biological responses necessary for blastema formation but lack the proliferative and anti-fibrotic signals provided by tail spinal cord radial glia and microglia, respectively.