Summary of the science
Some amphibians, like Xenopus (clawed frog), can heal wounds without scarring and regrow lost body parts (appendages), like tails. The lab aims to understand the signals and processes that enable this remarkable ability. They observe these processes in the Xenopus and hope to identify new genes that could lead to new therapies for wound healing and tissue regeneration in humans.
About the research
Enrique Amaya's lab focuses on investigating the molecular and cellular processes underlying tissue formation, repair, and regeneration. They utilise Xenopus embryos and tadpoles as a model system due to their exceptional ability to heal wounds without scarring and regenerate lost tissues. The lab aims to uncover the immediate wound signals, cellular mechanisms of wound healing, the role of inflammation in scarless healing and appendage regeneration, and identify master regulators of regeneration.
About the illustration
Here, we illustrate wound healing in the Xenopus tadpole. The white dot indicates the wound itself, with the black dots and reddish hue representing the site of inflammation and the recruited immune cells.