Spinal cord regeneration in amphibians: a historical perspective.

In some vertebrates, a grave injury to the central nervous system (CNS) results in functional restoration, rather than in permanent incapacitation. Understanding how these animals mount a regenerative response by activating resident CNS stem cells populations is of critical importance in regenerative biology. Amphibians are of a particular interest in the field, because the regenerative ability is present throughout life in urodele species, but in anuran species it is lost during development. Studying amphibians, who transition from a regenerative to a non-regenerative state, could give insight into the loss of ability to recover from CNS damage in mammals. Here, we highlight the current knowledge of spinal cord regeneration across vertebrates and identify commonalities and differences in spinal cord regeneration between amphibians. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.