The body's response to injury is one of natures most complex processes. Multiple biological pathways immediately become activated and synchronised to repair the damage. In the animal kingdom, there are many species that simply regenerate. Even complex body parts can be regenerated with full function and form following amputation or injury1. Invertebrates such as the flatworm can regenerate the head from a piece of tail and the tail from the head. Among vertebrates, fish can regenerate parts of the brain, eye, kidney, heart and fins. Frogs can regenerate limbs, tail, brain and eye tissue as tadpoles but not as adults; salamanders can regenerate limbs, heart, tail, brain, eye tissues, kidney, brain and spinal cord throughout life. This varying regenerative capacity is largely limited by each species' propensity to fibrosis following tissue injury or wounding.
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