Time to get scientific: At the University of Chicago, researchers have been taking a close look at the eel-like lamprey, which can fully regenerate its spinal cord even after being severed—within three months the lamprey is swimming, burrowing, and flipping around again as if nothing happened. Recovering from a spinal cord injury as the lamprey does is almost unheard of in humans and other mammals, so the researchers are working on identifying the individual neurons responsible for regenerating the spinal cord. The hope is that the lamprey could lead researchers to design better strategies for treatments aimed at promoting central nervous system regrowth after injury or disease.
How the lamprey could lead to better treatments for spinal cord injuries
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