For over 200 years, researchers have been captivated by axolotl salamanders (Ambystoma mexicanum) and their remarkable regenerative abilities, seeking to uncover secrets that could revolutionize regenerative medicine, including the scarless healing of wounds.
“The axolotl salamander is the most studied animal ever in science for its neotenic ability to regenerate,” Jill S. Waibel, MD, dermatologist and researcher in Miami, said in an interview. Neotenic tissue retains a juvenile or immature state throughout an organism’s life. In the case of the axolotl, “it can regenerate limbs, part of its heart, even its brain,” she said.
A 2019 review of several studies on the regenerative abilities of axolotls highlights the importance of gene activity in…