Scientists find genetic switch for healing in mammals

Chinese scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in regenerative medicine by identifying a genetic switch that can restore healing abilities in mammals, a discovery that could revolutionize treatments for organ damage and traumatic injuries.

According to the study, published on Friday in the journal Science, flipping an evolutionarily disabled genetic switch involved in Vitamin A metabolism enabled the ear tissue regeneration in rodents.

Unlike animals such as fish and salamanders, mammals have limited capacity to regenerate damaged tissues or organs fully. The ear pinna, varying widely in its ability to regenerate across species, makes an ideal model for studying how regenerative capacity has evolved in mammals.