Frogs regrow amputated legs in breakthrough experiment

Scientists have regrown the legs of the dead after giving them a cocktail of drugs.

African clawed Frogs are like humans in that they can't regrowth lost limbs. In the new study, researchers succeeded in getting the frog to grow replacement limbs in 18 months after just 24 hours of treatment. The finding raises the possibility that humans could also grow limbs in the future.

The drugs we selected were helping to create an almost complete limb, according to the first author Nirosha Murugan.

13 strange animal feet.

Animals can regenerate themselves. Human bodies can use stem cells to heal wounds and regrowth of parts of the body. salamanders can grow limbs and other missing parts. The mechanisms behind limb regeneration are not fully understood, but neither humans nor adult frog are capable of regrowing legs and arms.

Humans and Frogs cover an open amputation wound to stop the spread of infections. Humans have developed replacement limbs, but scientists have been unable to reverse the loss of a major limb like an arm or leg.

Multiple drugs were used to regenerate limb tissue. The team applied a Silicone cap to each frog's wound after they had their legs removed. The cap released a cocktail of five drugs, including growth hormones, that helped different roles, such as encouraging nerves and muscles to grow. One of the drugs prevented the frog bodies from producing the type of tissue that causes wounds to scar over.

The BioDome cap in the first 24 hours helps mimic an amniotic-like environment, which, along with the right drugs, allows the rebuilding process to proceed without the interference of scar tissue.

Aamniotic sac is where embryo and fetus develop during pregnancy. When an embryo is growing and taking shape, some of the same pathways in the frog are used.

The new legs looked like normal legs with the same bone structure, except for the toes, which lacked underlying bones. The frog was able to use their new leg to swim.

The findings were published in a journal.

It was originally published on Live Science.