Are Axolotls the Key to Everlasting Life?
Wolverine, Deadpool, and Axolotl.
People often go to the movies to see infamous heroes, such as Wolverine and Deadpool, fight villain after villain with no fear. Their regeneration ability allows them to charge armies with confidence and gives them the appearance of a god. Unlike these fictional characters, most vertebrates are restricted in their ability to regenerate. But, the axolotl is an exception.
First, to give some introduction, the axolotl is a mexican salamander that originates from multiple lakes in Mexico City such as, Lake Xochimilco. Axolotls exhibit neoteny, meaning that it can reach maturity without undergoing metamorphosis and thus keeps their juvenile physical characteristics, such as gills, despite reaching adulthood. However, what makes these creatures so unique is their ability to regenerate. In Scientific American, Professor Stephane Roy of University of Montreal states,
“You can cut the spinal cord, crush it, remove a segment, and it will regenerate. You can cut the limbs at any level — the wrist, the elbow, the upper arm — and it will regenerate, and it’s perfect. There is nothing missing, there’s no scarring on the skin at the site of amputation, every tissue is replaced. They can regenerate the same limb 50, 60, 100 times. And every time: perfect.”
These water beauties can regenerate their limbs, tails, jaws, skin, spinal cord, and even parts of their brains without leaving any signs of injury. Furthermore, axolotls are 1000 times more resilient to cancer than other mammals, giving scientists hope that we can one day harness the axolotls regeneration ability to eliminate cancer and extend our lifespans.
For centuries, scientists have searched for the “Holy Grail” of scientific and medical research: true cellular regeneration, or the ability to regenerate tissues and organs without the need of transplants. Professor Roy’s research on axolotls could potentially save millions of lives, and he is optimistic that his research could be accomplished within the next 10 to 20 years. Who knows? The heroes on our movie screens might not seem so comical within the next decade.
