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Some fish regrow injured fins and we’re closer to understanding how

Unravelling the complex biological process that allows fish to regrow injured fins could help advance regenerative medicine in humans

By Sofia Quaglia

1 October 2024

The African killifish

The African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) can regrow its fins

Jill Toyoshiba

Researchers have uncovered new details about how some fish can regenerate their tail after an injury, which could inch us closer to employing regenerative medicine in people.

“Humans have all the components to regenerate, but we don’t do it,” says Augusto Ortega Granillo at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Missouri. “There’s something missing, and we believe that the missing part, it’s a regulation part.”

One mystery about animal regeneration is how…

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