Enhanced regeneration in humans. Products that help tissue regeneration

The ability of living organisms to renew healthy and repair damaged tissues is called regeneration. For the harmonious development and proper functioning of the human body, a constant process of such changes at the cellular level is necessary. The outer layer of the human skin (epidermis) is in a state of continuous renewal, thus providing favorable conditions for the normal functioning of the human internal organs, performing protective and aesthetic functions.

Types of regeneration

Skin regeneration is of two types:

Physiological - a natural process of tissue renewal that occurs throughout the entire period of human life. Along with the restoration of the skin, this type of regenerative function also includes such manifestations of the vital activity of the body as the growth of hair and nails.
Reparative - the recovery process, which is the result of any mechanical damage to the skin. In case of violation of the integrity of the skin as a result of bruises, cuts, scratches, burns, acne, the affected area is formed from new cells that begin to multiply rapidly, restoring damaged tissues.

Cyclic mechanism of cell renewal

Skin cells originate in the inner layers of the skin and, gradually moving towards the outer layers, eventually appear on the surface. In their place, new ones are formed, which, in turn, move in a similar way. After some time, the old cells of the epidermis die off and imperceptibly exfoliate, being replaced by young ones. This continuous process has a certain cyclicity. The period of time from the moment of origin of the cell to its natural death is called the cycle of skin regeneration.

The renewal periods, depending on the rate of recovery reactions, may vary in each specific case, since the mechanisms of cell regeneration in different people have their own characteristics, which are directly affected by the following factors:

The genetic factor, of course, plays a big role in this process, but on the other side of the scale there will always be inevitable age-related changes, environmental conditions, as well as the lifestyle that a person leads, including his diet, habits, ability to monitor his health and appearance.

The cyclicity of regenerative functions directly depends on the age of a person, but since its nature is simultaneously determined by other factors listed above, this value cannot be equivalent for all representatives of the same age. Nevertheless, there are approximate data on the duration of the regeneration period, depending on the age categories. It can be argued that the approximate speed of the regenerative process is:

up to 25 years - 28 days;
25-35 years - 29 days;
35-45 years - 30-31 days;
45-55 years - 32 days;
after 60 years - up to 2-3 months, after which a period of stabilization begins, when the skin loses moisture, loses firmness and elasticity, and becomes wrinkled.

The rest of the listed conditions, such as nutrition, care, environment, are no less important for the recovery processes and, if necessary, are subject to adjustment in order to improve health and prolong youth.

The main causes of poor regeneration

Sometimes the skin loses the ability to normal recovery, and the rate of regeneration decreases regardless of age. This may be due to the following factors:

weakening of the immune system;
the presence of chronic diseases;
infections;
regular stress;
insufficient rest, overwork;
lack of adequate nutrition;
lack of physical activity;
improper skin care;
periods of hormonal changes in the body;
unfavorable environmental conditions.

What promotes skin regeneration

In order to effectively resist negative factors and slow down skin aging, it is necessary to stimulate the process of cell regeneration. For this purpose, various means and methods are used. In solving this problem will help:

healthy foods;
medications;
natural remedies;
anti-aging face masks;
cosmetic procedures.

Proper Diet

If the regenerative skin processes are disturbed and the first signs of aging appear, it is necessary, first of all, to pay attention to the daily diet. It should include products containing vitamins A, C, D, E and B vitamins, which contribute to the formation of new cells and rejuvenation of the body. The menu should be dominated by the following foods:

Medications

For the treatment of skin damaged as a result of injury, special drugs are used for both internal and external use, which promote accelerated tissue regeneration and rapid healing.

Significantly increase the regenerative abilities of the body during the recovery period will help immunomodulators. These include drugs such as levamisole, thymalin, and pyrogenal. When using them, regenerative processes proceed several times faster.

To improve the blood supply to damaged areas of the skin and their rapid healing, the drug actovegin is widely used, which is available in the form of tablets, an injection solution, as well as an ointment and gel for external use.

Attention! In order to effectively treat and eliminate the risk of adverse reactions, drugs should be used strictly as directed and under medical supervision!

In addition to the above, other drugs can be prescribed to stimulate recovery processes, for example, steroid and non-steroidal anabolic drugs, biogenic stimulants, vitamin complexes, etc.

Along with taking medications in the form of tablets and injections, direct treatment of the wound is an obligatory part of the treatment. For this purpose, ointments and creams are used for skin regeneration, which have a local antiseptic and wound healing effect. The most popular are the following:

natural remedies

Natural substances that have the ability to stimulate regenerative skin processes will also help improve the condition of the skin, renew its outer layer. The most effective natural stimulants include:

Anti-aging masks

How to restore the skin of the face? At home, for this purpose, you can use special masks, which should include substances with antioxidant properties, as well as trace elements that prevent the destruction of the cell membrane and promote the production of collagen and elastin. Masks are applied to pre-cleansed skin, aged for at least 15 minutes and washed off first with warm and then cold water.

clay mask. To prepare it, you will need one tablespoon of blue clay and two tablespoons of gooseberries. Berries should be well kneaded, mixed with clay. Apply the resulting mixture on the face, avoiding the eyes and lips. Wash off the mask after 15 minutes.

Gelatin mask. Prepared from half a glass of freshly squeezed fruit or berry juice and one tablespoon of gelatin. The mixture must be boiled and boiled over low heat until the crystals are completely dissolved. Apply the cooled mask for 15-20 minutes.

Herbal mask. It has not only a regenerating, but also a pronounced anti-inflammatory and nourishing effect. For cooking, crushed leaves of currant, strawberry, plantain, taken in equal parts, and one egg yolk are used. Mix the ingredients well and apply the resulting mixture for 15-20 minutes.

Cosmetic procedures

To improve the condition of the skin, its intensive rejuvenation, you can use the services of professional cosmetologists who will correctly assess the existing problems and offer the most effective methods for solving them. In beauty salons, procedures are carried out that contribute to the maximum restoration and renewal of the skin. These activities include:

Peeling. It is a deep cleansing of the face, as a result of which the mechanisms of accelerated regeneration are launched. Various methods are used to carry out the procedure: mechanical, chemical, diamond polishing, etc. Professional peeling recommended from the age of thirty.
Mesotherapy. It is carried out using special microneedles, with the help of which medicinal solutions are injected under the skin. These substances activate metabolic processes, improve tissue regeneration, contributing to their rejuvenation. This procedure is recommended for aging skin.
Radio wave lifting. Produced by a machine that emits radio waves. The impact can be carried out with different intensity. During this procedure, rejuvenation processes are actively stimulated.

There are a large number of ways to accelerate skin regeneration, but do not forget that a comprehensive approach is needed to solve this problem, including not only the use of stimulating methods and means, but also the organization of a healthy lifestyle, the elimination of bad habits. Only with an objective assessment of the situation and a firm determination to make the necessary efforts will the desired result be achieved, which will last for a long time.

I am often asked a lot about how to speed up the process of skin recovery after acne as soon as possible so that spots and scars disappear faster. Yes, and acne themselves quickly passed. Many, for example, on top of a healing cream, apply a regenerating agent pointwise - this helps to quickly cope with acne. As it were, a medicine - a therapeutic drug only heals: it relieves inflammation, kills bacteria. And regenerating agents help tissues heal faster, resulting in faster recovery.

There are actually such funds, they are able to speed up regeneration by 2 times.

If the problem is acute, for example, you constantly have scars after any injuries, even minor ones, internal preparations will help, but these are most often vitamins that affect regeneration.

Vitamins that affect regenerative processes:

retinol,
Vitamin E
B vitamins,
Vitamin C…

What influences regeneration, why is there a decrease in these processes?

weakened body (after past illnesses, reduced immunity),
excessive physical and mental stress (do not believe it, then think about how much the body spends vitality, energy on this, if you do not make up for the loss, sleep, vitamins, you will exhaust yourself),
malnutrition (the body is simply not able to draw resources for recovery, there is no building material), eat right,
stress (takes a lot of energy, B vitamins are incredibly consumed, and they are needed for tissue regeneration),
infectious sores (also take away a lot of useful things).

Physiological regeneration is a natural process of replacement of short-lived cells (blood cells, skin cells, mucous membranes), which are stimulated by internal mechanisms. The building material for this process is the constituent elements of nutrition, food.

So, the list of fixed assets that can affect the process of tissue regeneration:

1. Badyaga

You all already know about this tool, so we won’t talk about it here, you can read in the corresponding topic:.

Badyagi needles are introduced into the upper layer of the epidermis, causing local irritation of the skin, the subcutaneous capillaries expand and deep-seated blood vessels are activated. This helps to activate the superficial blood supply, relieve local pain and provide an excellent resolving effect on the affected areas. When badyagi is used, local release of biologically active substances occurs: autacoids, kinins, histamine, prostaglandins, which contribute to the healing of damaged tissues, the resorption of scars and seals, and also restores local immunity and protective functions.

The only thing is that this remedy should not be used for inflammation, otherwise you can only aggravate the situation.

2. Dexpanthenol

I think a lot of people know about it too. Also one of the most popular. Not only increases regeneration, but is also able to remove even the strongest peeling. If the skin does not dry out much, you can use products based on dexpanthenol pointwise.

Dexpanthenol softens the skin, thereby helping it exfoliate faster and speed up the recovery process. In skin cells, dexpanthenol passes into a component of the coenzyme - pantothenic acid, which in turn increases the stability and elasticity of collagen fibers and reduces the drying and destructive effect of the external environment on thin skin.

You can see which remedy to choose based on dexpanthenol in the topic on the forum:. From popular drugs : Panthenol spray, Bepanthen cream, D-panthenol cream. Some dexpanthenol products can clog pores due to cometogenic ingredients. Be careful!

3. Sea buckthorn oil

Very rich in vitamins that increase regenerative functions. That is, it is a stimulant of natural origin (in principle, like the means above). But before using it, check if you are allergic to it (some people do). Plus, sea buckthorn oil can relieve mild inflammation.

Being a source of vitamins A, E, K, sea buckthorn oil has a regenerating effect on the skin and mucous membranes, accelerating their epithelialization, has a tonic, anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective and antioxidant effect. It contains fat-soluble bioantioxidants that reduce free radical processes and protect cell membranes from damage. Sea buckthorn oil reduces the level of lipids and cholesterol in the blood. Its use for facial skin is effective due to its ability to penetrate through the layers of the epidermis, improving the metabolism of subcutaneous fatty tissue and deeply nourishing the skin.

I love him very much. It is better to apply it pointwise to the lesions or I really like to mix it with bepanthen cream. How? Take a “pea” of bepanthen cream, drip a drop of oil and mix what happened, apply to the skin or spots.

You can make masks with sea buckthorn oil. I will write about them later.

4. Actovegin

(forms: cream, gel, ointment, solution in ampoules, tablets)
Means of animal origin. Quite a popular remedy in some areas of medicine and has proven itself on the positive side. She used it both intravenously and on the skin. The main advantages of actovegin are that it accelerates epithelialization, provides oxygen to skin tissues, increasing blood flow. Due to this, wounds, even deep ones, heal quickly. For the skin, either a gel or a cream is suitable.

It has an antihypoxic effect, stimulates the activity of oxidative phosphorylation enzymes, increases the exchange of energy-rich phosphates, accelerates the breakdown of lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate; normalizes pH, enhances blood circulation, intensifies energy-intensive processes of regeneration and repair, improves tissue trophism.

5. Aekol

Vitamin-based preparation: Retinol + Vitamin E + Menadione + Betacarotene. In liquid form, an oily liquid. Normalizes the metabolism (metabolism) of the affected tissue, accelerates the processes of regeneration (recovery). Also a good natural remedy that can speed up the healing process. Better to use pointwise.

The combined drug has a multivitamin, metabolic and anti-burn effect. Accelerates wound healing, stimulates reparation.

6. Jojoba

Fatty jojoba oil or liquid wax, rich in vitamin E, stimulates tissues, nourishes, moisturizes. Improves the overall condition of the skin. Perfect for women, not recommended for guys. Medium, but works wonders if used often.

Due to its high fluidity, jojoba has a high penetrating ability and is deeply absorbed into the skin, providing hydration, nutrition, regeneration and protection of the deepest layers of the epidermis. Its composition is close to the lipids of our skin, which makes it an indispensable cosmetic ingredient. Optimizes lipid metabolism, restores the barrier functions of the skin, softening it, relieves tension and irritation. The healing properties of jojoba surpasses many vegetable and animal oils.

In addition, jojoba has a natural sun protection factor of 4, which optimizes the absorption of vitamin D and the production of melanin by the skin under the influence of the sun.

7. Essential oils

Essential oil fanatics will disagree with me, but I don't recommend using them. In order for an essential oil to actually work, it must be natural, without unnecessary impurities, flavorings, which means that it will be very expensive (definitely not 100 rubles or even 500 sometimes). The only thing, tea tree essential oil, it is inexpensive in itself, and cosmetic, in general, it goes perfectly anywhere and smells nice. I can advise you to mix tea tree essential oil with jojoba oil 1:1, my skin likes it, not for every day, of course, but it nourishes the skin perfectly, plus it relieves inflammation.

Tea tree essential oil is a natural topical remedy with antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, regenerating and immunostimulating effects. Helps to eliminate acne, warts, papillomas, dandruff, fungal infections, effective for insect bites, abrasions, cuts.

And for those who are fond of essential oils and can get a quality essential oil that stimulates regeneration: lavender, patchouli, petitgrain (terrible smell and very stubborn), rose.

8. Various peels

For example, glycolic peels, which help problematic skin, and other acid-based peels. Not only activate blood circulation, exfoliate, but also stimulate the growth of new cells.

9. Aloe

Biogenic stimulator, is an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent, a stimulator of tissue regeneration, an immunostimulant, has antimutagenic activity. Promotes healing with burns of various etiologies. Moisturizes, tones, helps to restore the skin.

These are the main tools that work effectively by restoring damaged tissues. Some are very fond of retinoid-based products, believing that they quickly restore, such as Retasol, retinoid ointment. Nothing of the kind, their effect is so insignificant that you will hardly ever notice it. There is also Curiosin gel, declared as a regenerative agent, but also average in this regard.

Which one you choose doesn't matter. Some of them may not suit you. It happens that products that include retinol acetate cause an allergic reaction. I saw it myself, it will be worse than acne. Also, for example, with sea buckthorn oil, at first glance it is tempting as a herbal remedy, but it may not suit you.

These funds can be combined, combined, supplemented, alternated. That is, whatever suits you. You can buy several and use each at its own time. I do not advise mixing badyaga with anything other than gels with badyaga, the principle of badyaga is precisely that the needles enter under the skin, which means that it must be rubbed, pressed. You don't need anything else for this, mind you! But after badyagi, you can apply some kind of regenerating cream.

Preparations can be used both pointwise and on the entire face, it all depends on the degree of skin damage. If you have 2-3 pimples there, a few spots, then it is better to point.

Attention: do not use regenerating agents unnecessarily. When you really need them, they will not work as they should, the skin will get used to the action and will not react. And the constant stimulation of regenerating processes will lead to the fact that you weaken the natural processes of regeneration and become dependent on stimulants.

And one more thing: our skin depends on our health. All problems are immediately reflected on the skin, so if you have any problems: reduced immunity, chronic sores, you work in an unfavorable environment, stress, then start affecting regenerative functions from the inside. How? It's simple, drink vitamins, eat right.

If you know of any other good tools that can speed up the regeneration process, write!

The ability of living organisms to regenerate organs is one of the many mysterious mysteries of biology that man has long been trying to solve. Back in 2005, the well-known journal Science published a list of the 25 most important problems in science, which includes the problem unraveling the mystery of organ regeneration.

Pyotr Garyaev. ‹Top Secret» Biology of Youth

Stem cells are the basis of regeneration

To date, scientists have not been able to fully understand- why some living beings, losing a limb, can quickly restore it, while others are deprived of such an opportunity. The whole organism at a certain stage of development knows how to do this, but this stage is very short - a period that begins and immediately ends when the embryo is just beginning to develop. Currently, scientists around the world are trying to find the answer to the question: is it possible to wake up this “valuable” memory in the adult brain and make it work again.

Some experts in the field of regenerative medicine believe that this regeneration function can be restored using. These cells in the body of an adult are contained in a very small amount and are located in the lower spine next to the root node. These are unique cells, with their help the organism of the future little man was born, and then built and developed.

The first eight cells formed as a result of conception, the fertilization of an egg by a spermatozoon, are the original stem cells. Scientists have found out that in order to activate the reproduction of these stem cells, it is necessary to launch a special vortex field (Merka-ba). It will stimulate the active production of stem cells. With the active production of cells, the human body will begin regeneration. This is the cherished dream of scientists of regenerative medicine.

Damage to the spinal cord, any organ or limb makes a healthy active person disabled for the rest of his life. By completely unraveling the mystery of organ regeneration, scientists will be able to learn how to help such people by “growing” new healthy organs. Also, the regeneration process can significantly increase life expectancy.

Regeneration of organs and tissues: how does it happen?

The Salamander's Healing Immune System

Trying to solve the mystery, scientists closely watched organisms that have these abilities: tadpoles, lizards, molluscs, all crustaceans, amphibians, shrimps.

Especially from this group, scientists distinguish salamander. This individual is able to regenerate, and more than once, the head and dorsal, heart, limbs and tail. It is this amphibian that experts in the field of regenerative medicine around the world consider to be an ideal example of the ability to regenerate.

This process in the salamander is very precise. She can restore a limb completely, but if only a part is lost, then that lost part is restored. At the moment, it is not known exactly how many times a salamander can recover. It should be noted that the once again grown limb is without pathologies and deviations. The secret of this amphibian is the immune system , it is she who helps the restoration of organs.

Scientists are very carefully studying this immune system in order to copy the recovery method, but for the human body. But so far, copying has not been successful, despite a large amount of research on the salamander. Only scientists from the Australian Institute of Regenerative Medicine claim that they most likely managed to find a fundamental factor in the salamander's ability to regenerate.

They argue that this ability is based on the cells of the immune system, which are designed to digest dead cells, fungi, bacteria that the body has rejected. Scientists have long experimented on salamanders living in the laboratory. They artificially cleansed the body of amphibians, thereby "turning off" the regenerative abilities. As a result, a scar similar to the human scar that appears after serious injuries simply formed on the wounds;
Experts believe that it is the cells of the immune system that create special chemicals that form the basis of the regenerative process. Most likely, the chemical is reproduced directly on the damaged area and begins to actively restore it;
Recently, Australian scientists announced that they are preparing a long-term study of the immune system of humans and salamanders. Thanks to modern equipment and high professionalism of scientists, most likely, in the coming years it will be revealed what exactly helps the rapid regeneration of amphibians;
Also, along the way, a discovery can be made in the field of cosmetology, prosthetics and transplantology regarding the effective disposal of scars. This problem also cannot be solved for many years;
Unfortunately, none of them has the ability to regenerate organs. A person's ability to regenerate can be activated only by adding certain special components to the body.

Research on regeneration in mammals

However, there are experts who, after much research and experimentation, claim that mammals can regenerate the tip of the finger. They made these conclusions while working with mice. But, the degree of regeneration is very limited. If we compare the paw of a mouse and a human finger, then it is possible to grow a lost fragment that does not reach the place of the cuticle. If even a millimeter more, then the regeneration process is no longer possible.

There is evidence that a community of scientists from Japan and the United States were able to “wake up” mouse stem cells and grew a large part of a limb equal to the length of an average human finger. They found that stem cells are located throughout the body of a mammal, they multiply and become the cells that the body needs most for successful functioning at the moment.

Conclusion

Scientists around the world are working hard to find out how the human body can regenerate organs. If, nevertheless, specialists learn to “wake up” stem cells, then this will be one of the greatest discoveries of mankind. This knowledge will greatly affect the work of absolutely all areas of clinical medicine, allowing to “replace”, in the truest sense of the word, worthless, dead organs with healthy ones and effectively restore damaged tissues.

Currently, all research and experiments are carried out with the mandatory participation of mammals and amphibians.

People have always been amazed at the incredible properties of the animal body. Such properties of the body as the regeneration of organs, the restoration of lost parts of the body, the ability to change color and go without water and food for a long time, sharp eyesight, existence in incredibly difficult conditions, and so on. Compared with animals, it seems that they are not our "smaller brothers", but we are theirs.

But it turns out that the human body is not so primitive as it might seem to us at first glance.

Regeneration of the human body

Cells in our body are also updated. But how is the renewal of the cells of the human body? And if the cells are constantly being renewed, then why does old age come, and not eternal youth last?

Swedish neurologist Jonas Friesen found that every adult is on average fifteen and a half years old.

But if many parts of our body are constantly being updated, and as a result, they turn out to be much younger than their owner, then some questions arise:

For example, why doesn't the skin remain smooth and pink all the time, like a baby's, if the top layer of the skin is always two weeks old?
If the muscles are about 15 years old, then why is a 60-year-old woman not as flexible and mobile as a 15-year-old girl?

Friesen saw the answers to these questions in the DNA of mitochondria (this is part of every cell). She quickly accumulates various damage. That is why the skin ages over time: mutations in mitochondria lead to a deterioration in the quality of such an important component of the skin as collagen. According to many psychologists, aging occurs due to the mental programs that have been instilled in us since childhood.

Today we will consider the timing of the renewal of specific human organs and tissues:

Body Regeneration: Brain

Brain cells live with a person throughout his life. But if the cells were updated, the information that was embedded in them would go with them - our thoughts, emotions, memories, skills, experience.

A lifestyle such as: smoking, drugs, alcohol - to one degree or another destroys the brain, killing part of the cells.

And yet, in two areas of the brain, cells are updated:

The olfactory bulb is responsible for the perception of smells.
The hippocampus, which controls the ability to absorb new information in order to then transfer it to the "storage center", as well as the ability to navigate in space.

The fact that heart cells also have the ability to renew has become known only recently. According to researchers, this only happens once or twice in a lifetime, so it is extremely important to preserve this organ.

Body regeneration: Lungs

For each type of lung tissue, cell renewal occurs at a different rate. For example, the air sacs at the ends of the bronchi (alveoli) regenerate every 11 to 12 months. But the cells located on the surface of the lungs are updated every 14-21 days. This part of the respiratory organ takes on most of the harmful substances coming from the air we breathe.

Bad habits (primarily smoking), as well as a polluted atmosphere, slow down the renewal of the alveoli, destroy them and, in the worst case, can lead to emphysema.

Body regeneration: Liver

The liver is the champion of regeneration among the organs of the human body. Liver cells are renewed approximately every 150 days, that is, the liver is “born again” once every five months. It is able to recover completely, even if, as a result of the operation, a person has lost up to two-thirds of this organ.

The liver is the only organ in our body that has such a high regenerative function.

Of course, the detailed endurance of the liver is possible only with your help to this organ: the liver does not like fatty, spicy, fried and smoked foods. In addition, the work of the liver is greatly complicated by alcohol and most drugs.

And if you do not pay attention to this organ, it will cruelly take revenge on its owner with terrible diseases - cirrhosis or cancer. By the way, if you stop drinking alcohol for eight weeks, the liver can be completely cleansed.

Body regeneration: Intestine

The walls of the intestines are covered with tiny villi from the inside, which ensure the absorption of nutrients. But they are under the constant influence of gastric juice, which dissolves food, so they do not live long. Terms of their renewal - 3-5 days.

Body Regeneration: Skeleton

The bones of the skeleton are updated continuously, that is, at every moment in the same bone there are both old and new cells. It takes about ten years to completely renovate the skeleton.

This process slows down with age, as bones become thinner and more fragile.

Body regeneration: Hair

Hair grows an average of one centimeter per month, but hair can completely change in a few years, depending on the length. For women, this process takes up to six years, for men - up to three. Eyebrow and eyelash hairs grow back in six to eight weeks.

Body regeneration: Eyes

In such a very important and fragile organ as the eye, only corneal cells can be renewed. Its top layer is replaced every 7-10 days. If the cornea is damaged, the process occurs even faster - it is able to recover in a day.

Body regeneration: Language

10,000 receptors are located on the surface of the tongue. They are able to distinguish the tastes of food: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty. The cells of the tongue have a rather short life cycle - ten days.

Smoking and oral infections weaken and inhibit this ability, as well as reduce the sensitivity of taste buds.

Body Regeneration: Skin and Nails

The surface layer of the skin is renewed every two to four weeks. But only if the skin is provided with proper care and it does not receive an excess of ultraviolet radiation.

Smoking negatively affects the skin - this bad habit accelerates skin aging for two to four years.

The most famous example of organ renewal is nails. They grow back 3-4 mm every month. But this is on the hands, on the legs the nails grow twice as slowly. The nail on the finger is completely renewed on average in six months, on the toe - in ten.

Moreover, on the little fingers, the nails grow much more slowly than the others, and the reason for this is still a mystery to physicians. The use of drugs slows down the recovery of cells throughout the body.

Now you know a little more about your body and its properties. It becomes obvious that a person is very complex and not fully understood. How much more do we have to find out?

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Why can't a person regrow lost parts of his body? Why are we worse than lizards?

Scientists have long been trying to understand how amphibians, such as newts and salamanders, regenerate severed tails, limbs, jaws. Moreover, their damaged heart, eye tissues, and spinal cord are restored. The method used by amphibians for self-repair became clear when scientists compared the regeneration of mature individuals and embryos. It turns out that in the early stages of development, the cells of the future creature are immature, their fate may well change.

This was shown by experiments on frog embryos. When an embryo has only a few hundred cells, a piece of tissue destined to become a skin can be cut out of it and placed in a region of the brain. And that tissue will become part of the brain. If such an operation is performed on a more mature embryo, then skin cells still develop into skin - right in the middle of the brain. Because the fate of these cells is already predetermined.

For most organisms, cellular specialization, which causes one cell to become an immune system cell and another, say, part of the skin, is a one-way road, and the cells stick to their “specialization” until death.

And amphibian cells are able to turn back time and return to the moment when the destination could have changed. And if a newt or salamander loses a leg, in the damaged area of the body, cells of bones, skins and blood become cells without distinguishing features. All this mass of secondarily "newborn" cells (it is called a blastema) begins to intensively divide. And in accordance with the needs of the “current moment”, they become cells of bones, skin, blood ... To become a new paw at the end. Better than before.

How about a person? Only two types of cells are known to regenerate, are blood cells and liver cells. But here the principle of regeneration is different. When a mammalian embryo develops, few cells are left out of the specialization process. These are stem cells. They have the ability to replenish blood or dying liver cells. The bone marrow also contains stem cells, which can become muscle tissue, fat, bone, or cartilage, depending on what nutrients are given to them. At least in cuvettes.

If you inject bone marrow cells into the blood of mice with damaged muscles, these cells gather at the site of injury and straighten it out. However, what is true for mice does not apply to humans. Alas, the muscle tissue of an adult is not restored.

And some mice can

Is there any chance that the human body will acquire the ability regenerate missing parts? Or is this just the stuff of science fiction?
More recently, scientists firmly knew that mammals cannot regenerate. Everything changed completely unexpectedly and, as often happens in science, completely by accident. Philadelphia-based immunologist Helen Heber-Katz once gave her lab assistant a routine task: pierce the ears of lab mice to label them. A couple of weeks later, Heber-Katz came to the mice with ready-made labels, but ... she did not find holes in the ears. Naturally, the doctor gave a scolding to her laboratory assistant and, despite his oaths, she herself took up the matter. A few weeks passed - and the astonished eyes of scientists were presented with the purest mouse ears without any hint of a healed wound.

This strange case led Herber-Katz to make a completely unbelievable suggestion: what if the mice simply regenerated tissue and cartilage to fill holes they do not need? Upon closer examination, it turned out that in the damaged areas of the ears there is a blastema - the same non-specialized cells as in amphibians. But mice are mammals, they shouldn't have that ability...

What about other parts of the body? Dr. Heber-Katz cut off a piece of the tail of mice and ... got 75 percent regeneration!
Perhaps you are expecting that now I will tell you how the doctor cut off the mouse paw ... In vain. The reason is obvious. Without cauterization, the mouse would simply die of massive blood loss, long before regeneration of the lost limb had begun (if at all). And cauterization excludes the appearance of a blastema. So complete list of regeneration abilities Katz mice could not be identified. However, this is already a lot.

But only, for God's sake, do not cut the tails of your house mice! Because special pets live in the Philadelphia laboratory - with a damaged immune system. And Heber-Katz made the following conclusion from her experiments: regeneration is inherent only in animals with destroyed T-cells (cells of the immune system).

And amphibians, by the way, do not have any immune system at all. So, it is in the immune system that the key to this phenomenon is rooted. Mammals have the same genes necessary for tissue regeneration as amphibians, but T cells do not allow these genes to work.

Dr. Heber-Katz believes that organisms originally had two ways of healing from wounds - the immune system and regeneration. But in the course of evolution, both systems became incompatible with each other - and I had to choose. While regeneration may at first glance seem like the best choice, T cells are more urgent for us. After all, they are the body's main weapon against tumors. What's the point of being able to regrow your lost arm if cancer cells are thriving in your body at the same time?
It turns out that the immune system, while protecting us from infections and cancer, at the same time suppresses our ability to "self-repair".

Which cell to click on

Doros Platika, CEO of Boston-based Ontogeny, is confident that one day we will be able to start the process regeneration, even if we do not understand all its details to the end. Our cells carry the innate ability to grow new body parts, just as they did during fetal development. The instructions for growing new organs are written into the DNA of each of our cells, we just need to get them to “turn on” their ability, and then the process will take care of itself.

Ontogeny specialists are working on the creation of tools that include regeneration. The first is already ready and may soon be allowed for sale in Europe, the USA and Australia. This is a growth factor called OP1, which stimulates the growth of new bone tissue. OP1 will help treat complex fractures, where two pieces of broken bone are severely misaligned and therefore cannot heal. Often in such cases, the limb is amputated. But OP1 stimulates the bone tissue so that it begins to grow and fills the gap between the parts of the broken bone.

All doctors have to do is signal the bone cells to "grow" and let the body know how much bone it needs and where. If such growth signals are found for all cell types, a new leg can be grown with a few injections.

When does the leg become mature?

True, there are a couple of traps on the way to such a bright future. First, stimulation cells for regeneration can lead to cancer. Amphibians, which lack immune defenses, are otherwise protected against cancer by growing new body parts instead of tumors. But mammalian cells succumb so easily to uncontrolled landslide division...

Another trap is the problem of time. As embryos begin to grow limbs, the chemicals that dictate the shape of the new limb are easily distributed throughout the tiny body. In adults, the distance is much greater. You can solve this problem by forming a very small limb, and then start growing it. This is exactly what tritons do. It only takes them a couple of months to grow a new limb, but we're a bit bigger. How long does it take for a person to grow a new leg to its normal size? London scientist Jeremy Brox believes that at least 18 years ...

But Platika is more optimistic: “I see no reason why you can’t grow a new leg in a matter of weeks or months.” So when will doctors be able to offer the disabled a new service - growing new legs and arms? Platika says that in five years.

Incredible? But if someone had said five years ago that they would clone a person, no one would have believed him ... But then there was Dolly the sheep. And today, forgetting about the amazingness of this operation itself, we are discussing a completely different problem - do governments have the right to stop scientific research? And force scientists to look for a patch of extraterritorial ocean for a unique experiment? Although there are completely unexpected incarnations. For example dentistry. It would be nice if the lost teeth grew back ... This is what Japanese scientists have achieved.

The system of their treatment, according to ITAR-TASS, is based on the genes that are responsible for the growth of fibroblasts - the very tissues that grow around the teeth and hold them. According to the scientists, they first tested their method on a dog that had previously developed a severe form of periodontal disease. When all the teeth fell out, the affected areas were treated with a substance that included these same genes and agar-agar, an acidic mixture that provides a nutrient medium for cell reproduction. Six weeks later, the dog's fangs erupted. The same effect was observed in a monkey with teeth hewn to the ground. According to scientists, their method is much cheaper than prosthetics and for the first time allows a huge number of people to return their teeth in the literal sense. Especially when you consider that after 40 years, a tendency to periodontal disease occurs in 80 percent of the world's population.