A Theory for Organ Regeneration in Adults

Ioannis Yannas

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Adult mammals can be induced to partially regenerate tissues and organs that do not regenerate spontaneously. Induction of regeneration in an adult model appears to reverse the developmental change in healing, from regeneration to contraction and scar formation, that occurs approximately during the late phases of gestation. Accordingly, the regenerative activity of a scaffold is a matter of great theoretical interest. Induction requires grafting of the surgically injured anatomical site with an active scaffold. Active scaffolds, acting as insoluble regulators of cell function, have dramatically blocked contraction of the injured site in skin regeneration models and have blocked formation of a contractile cell capsule in a peripheral nerve regeneration model. The evidence supporting a theory of induced regeneration in adults is presented.