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"Axolotl salamanders are extremely resilient, but very little research has been done on their incredible ability to regenerate internal organs and eggs -- also called oocytes.
In a study published in the journal Stem Cells, Northeastern University biology professor James Monaghan and his team have discovered that these salamanders not only have the capability of re-growing limbs, they can also regenerate their ovaries and produce eggs throughout their lifespan. "When we remove a large portion of the ovary, it activates many endogenous stem cells to repair the organ," said Monaghan, whose graduate student Piril Erler, and research technician Alexandra Sweeney, performed the study. "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."
Examining the axolotl salamander's ability to regenerate ovaries after a traumatic injury and continue to produce nearly 2,000 eggs a year could lead to the development of regenerative medicines aimed at treating infertility in humans. "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," said Monaghan..."
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