Complete and perfect regeneration of appendages is a process that has fascinated and perplexed biologists for centuries. Some tetrapods possess amazing regenerative abilities, but the regenerative abilities of others are exceedingly limited. The reasons underlying these differences have largely remained mysterious. A great deal has been learned about the morphological events that accompany successful appendage regeneration, and a handful of experimental manipulations can be reliably applied to block the process. However, only in the last decade has the goal of attaining a thorough molecular and cellular biological understanding of appendage regeneration in tetrapods become within reach. Advances in molecular and genetic tools for interrogating these remarkable events are now allowing for unprecedented access to the fundamental biology at work in appendage regeneration in a variety of species. This information will be critical for integrating the large body of detailed observations from previous centuries with a modern understanding of how cells sense and respond to severe injury and loss of body parts. Understanding commonalities between regenerative modes across diverse species is likely to illuminate the most important aspects of complex tissue regeneration.

中文翻译：

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四足动物附肢再生的常见主题：细胞视角。


附肢的完整和完美再生是一个几个世纪以来令生物学家着迷又困惑的过程。一些四足动物拥有惊人的再生能力，但其他四足动物的再生能力却极其有限。这些差异背后的原因在很大程度上仍然是个谜。人们对伴随成功的附肢再生而发生的形态学事件有了很多了解，并且可以可靠地应用一些实验操作来阻止该过程。然而，直到最近十年，对四足动物附肢再生进行彻底的分子和细胞生物学理解的目标才成为可能。用于探究这些非凡事件的分子和遗传工具的进步现在使得人们能够前所未有地了解各种物种附肢再生中发挥作用的基础生物学。这些信息对于将前几个世纪的大量详细观察结果与对细胞如何感知和应对严重损伤和身体部位损失的现代理解相结合至关重要。了解不同物种再生模式之间的共性可能会阐明复杂组织再生的最重要方面。