Researchers at Texas A&M University report the successful regrowth of skeletal and connective tissues, in what they call a “critical step” toward one day enabling major tissue regeneration in humans.
Throughout time, the regenerative capabilities that, in some cases, can even restore entire lost limbs, have been viewed as an almost miraculous ability that only certain animals, such as salamanders, some reptiles, and other creatures, possess.
However, regenerative science is now unlocking the secrets of this capability, meaning that one day, even humans might be able to tap into one of nature’s most mysterious superpowers.
Awakening Humanity’s Dormant Regenerative Superpower
Current state-of-the-art research at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is revealing a remarkable possibility: that regenerative abilities may not be absent in mammals after all—they may simply be dormant.
This remarkable possibility was detailed in a recent study published in Nature Communications, which details research led by Dr. Ken Muneoka with the school’s Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology (VTPP), who says he has devoted most of his career to unraveling this possibility.
Now, Muneoka and his team report a two-step treatment they developed, which successfully triggered the regeneration of bone, joint structures, ligaments, and other tissues following amputation—a significant advancement toward unlocking more powerful regenerative capabilities in humans.
“Why some animals can regenerate and others, particularly humans, can’t is a big question that has been asked since Aristotle,” Muneoka says.
Fibrolasts to the Fore
In their research, the team worked with cells that drive the healing processes and scar formation after wounds occur, which are known as fibroblasts.
In species like salamanders, similar cells go to work when injury or limb loss occurs, which begin to form into structures biologists call blastemas. These formative materials are the primary drivers behind the regrowth of tissues in such creatures.
However, unlike salamanders, mammalian cells need a bit more encouragement before they will begin to follow such regenerative pathways.
To help with this process, Muneoka and his team developed a new sequential treatment based on a pair of primary growth factors. Applying fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in an area where a wound had already healed stimulated the formation of blastema-like formations in mammal cells. Then, after several days, a bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) was applied, which similarly prompted bone cells to begin rebuilding their lost tissues.
“You first shift the cells away from scarring, and then you provide the signals that tell them what to build,” Muneoka said of this two-step process.
While the regenerated structures were not perfect replicas of the original anatomy, what Muneoka and his team achieved is still nothing short of remarkable: the team says they were able to successfully restore all major components that are typically lost when amputation occurs, including bone, tendons, ligaments, and joints.
“The Capacity is Not Absent”
Also of key significance is the fact that the team’s findings suggest that such hidden powers of regeneration might be accessible without the need for introducing external stem cells.
“You don’t have to actually get stem cells and put them back in,” Muneoka said. “They’re already there—you just need to learn how to get them to behave the way you want.”
Dr. Larry Suva, the recent study’s co-author, said the results challenge long-held assumptions about the limits of mammalian healing.
“The cells that we thought to be unprogrammable, in fact are,” Suva said. “The capacity is not absent—it’s just obscured.”
The Future of Regenerative Science
The team’s work is breaking new ground in the promising field of regenerative science, although what they have achieved so far is still in the earliest stages of what they believe may ultimately be possible.
Soon, such approaches may yield applications that could help significantly reduce scarring and may greatly help with tissue repair. Also, since BMP2 has already undergone the approval process for medical uses, and FGF2 is undergoing evaluation in clinical trials, Muneoka, Suva, and the Texas A&M team believe the path toward future medical applications may be more accessible than entirely new therapies.
“Regenerative failure in mammals can be rescued,” Muneoka said.
“Now we have a model to begin figuring out how,” he added.
The team’s recent study, “Digit regeneration in mice is stimulated by sequential treatment with FGF2 and BMP2,” was published in Nature Communications.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.