Ovary regeneration in salamanders may unlock clues about human infertility

Growing back tails are only the beginning of what a salamander can accomplish. Axolotl salamanders are able to regenerate not only their tails but also internal organs and oocytes. James Monaghan, biology professor at Boston's Northeastern University, hopes to harness this natural ability to help treat infertility in women.

Even when recovering from a major injury, the salamander is still able to produce 2,000 eggs a year. Researchers are targeting the signals responsible for the regeneration of reproductive organs to develop infertility medications in humans.

"These salamanders can repair after injury, continue to make large amounts of eggs and continue to have a hyper-prolific female reproductive system. It's pretty incredible," said Monaghan, in a study published in the journal Stem Cells. “We found most of the genes that are expressed in human development and in human ovarian stem cells are also expressed in these salamander ovarian stem cells.”

Identifying the signals was the first step in the translation process from reptile to mammal. Researchers are now hoping to recreate the regenerative signals into mice, with the eventual goal of bringing them to humans. These signals can also be applied to not only the ovaries but other major organs such as the lungs and heart, which have already shown to have regenerative potential.

"If we understand the signals that are inducing the injury response, then that can be recapitulated," said Monaghan. "We start in mice and then move up. Identifying the signals is the key element. If we can identify a blueprint for regeneration that is shared across multiple regenerating organs, and even the across regenerating animals, I feel these lessons can be utilized for human good. It's really an exciting time in regenerative biology."