Japanese scientists from Nagoya University School of Engineering have discovered the mechanism for rapid tendon regeneration in salamanders. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Journal of Orthopedic Research (TJOR).
When a tendon ruptures, a person needs at least several months of treatment before he or she can return to sports and other activities. Newts heal from similar injuries within 12 weeks and have no scar tissue left in their healing tendons.
The research team studied a model of great spiny salamander regeneration and compared it to tendon repair in mice.
The researchers examined damaged flexor tendons in the middle finger of the hind paw, a body part common to both species. They found that six weeks after injury, the salamanders had developed new tissue that resembled tendon tissue, and after 12 weeks, the regenerated tissue showed strength comparable to healthy tendon. However, the healing tissue in mice was different from healthy tendon tissue. Even after 12 weeks, its strength remained lower than that of a healthy tendon.
It turned out that tendon collagen tissue connects tendon residues in salamanders. This was in stark contrast to the patchy scar tissue that filled the damaged area in mice. The scientists also observed more cell nuclei in amphibians around the junction of newly formed and residual tendons.
“At first, they form a small and weak tendon, and over time they remodel, gaining strength and stiffness. If we can mimic this simple regeneration strategy, we may be able to help athletes recover better without invasive surgery,” explained study author Eijiro Maeda.
Previous scientists was created Material for bone regeneration.