{"id":2412,"date":"2019-12-05T11:40:11","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T11:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/?p=2412"},"modified":"2023-06-21T09:23:41","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T08:23:41","slug":"going-out-on-a-limb-could-we-one-day-grow-back-a-lost-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/2019\/12\/05\/going-out-on-a-limb-could-we-one-day-grow-back-a-lost-hand\/","title":{"rendered":"Going out on a limb – could we one day grow back a lost hand?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new year approaches and with it, thoughts of change, transformation and even regeneration. But if you\u2019re Professor Sarah Cartmell, thoughts of regeneration are simply business as usual.<\/p>\n

Last month, we spoke to Steve Pettifer, Professor of Computer Science at the\u00a0Department of Computer Science<\/a>, about his work developing a treatment for phantom limb pain<\/a>. Prof Pettifer has developed a virtual reality program that allows people to see an image of their missing limb, which can help to alleviate any pain or discomfort they are experiencing.<\/p>\n

But what if humans could simply grow a new limb to replace the one they lost? It sounds like science fiction \u2013 but one day it might just be possible.<\/p>\n

Out on a limb<\/h2>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

In fact, limb regeneration is science fact \u2013 at least in amphibians. Take a salamander \u2013 if it loses its leg, it is able to grow another. It can even regenerate a lost eye, jawbone or tail, as well as some internal organs. The same phenomenon is seen in lizards and certain sea stars. If you take a look at even smaller creatures, such as certain flatworms, total bodily regeneration is possible.<\/p>\n

For Prof Cartmell, Professor of Bioengineering and Head of the Department of Materials<\/a>, it\u2019s simple \u2013 if amphibians can do it then so can humans. \u201cWith more research to increase our understanding, I don\u2019t know why not,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

And she should know. For some time, Prof Cartmell has been researching something integral to human life \u2013 electricity. Indeed, it is electricity that can stimulate skin, muscle and even bone growth, and that may provide the answer to bone regeneration in humans.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people don\u2019t realise there is an electrical regime throughout the body,\u201d she explains. \u201cRather than being one big battery, we\u2019re full of mini batteries that differ for each body part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take the skin, for example. It\u2019s made up of different layers \u2013 the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis – and each layer has a different charge. When the skin is wounded by a cut that goes deep into the tissue, the electric charge is disrupted and a current forms around the cut. \u201cThis is an important part of the healing process of the cut, as it is integral to the regeneration of the skin,\u201d Prof Cartmell notes.<\/p>\n

Bright sparks<\/h2>\n

\"ECG<\/p>\n

Electricity has been commonplace in medicine for close to 100 years. From electroconvulsive therapy used to treat mental health disorders, to defibrillation to restart the heart, to the TENs machines we use to treat pain, electricity is an integral part of healthcare. Where things get complicated is that different outcomes require different electrical stimuluses \u2013 and each different tissue has a different voltage.<\/p>\n

When cut, our skins regenerates in order to heal. However, while an amphibian can regenerate a whole limb, in mammals the tissue begins to regenerate but the process is then taken over by fibrosis \u2013 more commonly known as scarring \u2013 that leaves the regeneration incomplete.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs all species share a certain amount of DNA, in humans the regeneration process after a loss of a limb is identical to that of an amphibian,\u201d says Prof Cartmell. \u201cBut then mammalian DNA takes over and the limb forms a stump.\u201d<\/p>\n

The future of regenerative medicine<\/h2>\n
\"Science
Prof Cartmell with a student<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So if a salamander can regrow a lost limb, why can\u2019t we? One reason is that cell regeneration is more likely to occur when the cells themselves are young.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say a child loses the very tip of their finger in an accident. While you might imagine that the first course of action is to find the lost fingertip and pack it in ice to be reattached, the other option is to wait for the fingertip to regrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping [the wound] wet allows an ionic flow to continue and the charged particles to flow around the edge of the wound, leading to full generation of the fingertip,\u201d says Prof Cartmell (although please don\u2019t let that stop you getting yourself, your kid and their fingertip to A&E pronto in the event of such an unfortunate incident!).<\/p>\n

The fact is, bone regrowth is <\/em>possible in humans \u2013 it\u2019s just a lot more complicated than in salamanders.<\/p>\n

Bone regeneration is at the very crux of Prof Cartmell\u2019s research. Working in the lab, she and her team have successfully grown tissue that can then be implanted in the patient to replace or repair the lost or damaged tissue.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a method that could see us one day having a lot more in common with salamanders. For example, Prof Cartmell is optimistic that within the next two decades, a doctor will not choose to use a metal-on-plastic hip joint (an artificial joint that commonly needs replacing every 10 to 15 years) for a patient undergoing hip replacement surgery, but instead one made from lab-grown biological tissue. For a population that\u2019s aging, this type of regenerative medicine could be revolutionary.<\/p>\n

So, might humans one day be able to regrow lost organs and limbs? Prof Cartmell is cautious but optimistic. \u201cAs a scientist, I hate making sweeping statements \u2026 but it happens with amphibians,\u201d she says. Well, if a salamander can do it!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Liked this? Then be sure to\u00a0<\/strong>subscribe on our homepage<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to keep up to date with all the latest posts from The Hub.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Words – Hayley Cox<\/em><\/p>\n

Images – The University of Manchester, Paddy Benson<\/a>, Carling Hale<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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