On August 6, 2010, a published research report on stem cells presented the findings of a Stanford University research team on unlocking the ability to regenerate. This team, led by Helen M. Blau, Jason H. Pomerantz and Konstandin V. Pajcini, found a way to induce this ability in mice.

While most research in the field of regenerative medicine had focused on the use of stem cells, immature cells that could develop into any needed cell, the team paid attention to how regeneration naturally occurs in other beings. What naturally happens can be observed in some animals with adult cells at the site of a wound. These cells then revert to a stemlike state so they can grow and divide.

This function, seen in newts, has been suppressed in mammals as a way to guard against cancerous tumors. While newts and fish only have the Rb gene that naturally inactivates to regenerate tissue in order to prevent the proliferation of cancer, mammals also have a backup called the Arf gene which closes down a cancer-prone cell if the Rb gene fails to do so.

In the experiment, the team was able to inactivate these two genes, thus enabling muscle cells in mice to revert to a younger state, start dividing and help repair tissue. According to Dr. Pomerantz, with the right dose of drug, the genes will only be inhibited for a short period of time. And when the drug’s effects have lapsed, the anti-tumor defenses would be restored. This way, the Stanford team had taken the step towards mimicking the natural process of regeneration cautiously.

While regrowing whole limbs is something invoked only by genes specific to certain species, this study has proven itself to be a useful contribution to the study of regenerative science. I think that with development, this kind of regeneration would open doors towards better ways of helping the body heal. As opposed to the introduction of medicine from the outside, these findings focus on healing from the inside, making use of the body’s own resources. Perhaps in time, the prospect is exciting not only for lost limbs, but also for diseased organs such as the liver or lungs. Perhaps a fountain of youth may not be as far off as once thought.