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South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Mammals could regenerate damaged tissue by turning on ‘genetic switch': Chinese team
Chinese scientists say they have restored the damaged outer ear in mice, a mammal that lacks natural regenerative abilities. The researchers said the pathway they identified could be applied to different tissue types and play a significant role in advancing regeneration in vertebrates. The team found that a mouse's failure to regenerate stemmed from an inability to produce sufficient retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A that regulates what cell type emerges during a cell's development and tissue repair. 10:16 Rise in Hong Kong infant eczema cases linked to 'excessive' Covid-19 cleaning habits Rise in Hong Kong infant eczema cases linked to 'excessive' Covid-19 cleaning habits This was because mice had lost the DNA 'remote controls' that switch on the gene that encodes an enzyme to convert vitamin A into retinoic acid, they found. By turning on the 'evolutionarily disabled genetic switch', the scientists could reactivate the regeneration of the mouse ear. 'Our study identified a genetic switch involved in the evolution of regeneration,' said the researchers from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, the BGI-Research genomics institute and the Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture. They published their research in the peer-reviewed journal Science on Thursday. Some animals possess the power of regeneration. Salamanders, for example, can regrow tissues, organs and limbs, while teleost fish can regenerate nervous tissue and restore function following injuries to their central nervous system. But mammals, including humans, have limited capacity to rejuvenate tissue and organs.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Digital embryo gives China a powerful tool to decode the secret of life: scientists
Scientists in China have developed the world's first 3D model of early mouse embryos , revealing how life forms in its initial stages at single-cell resolution. The team said this was a first step towards a deeper understanding of how diseases such as congenital heart defects develop, while providing insights into organ regeneration and cancer treatment. 'Early organogenesis is a crucial stage in embryonic development, characterised by extensive cell fate specification to initiate organ formation but also by a high susceptibility to developmental defects,' they wrote in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell last week. The researchers are from Southeast University in Nanjing, BGI-Research, Fujian Medical University, Sichuan University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Guangzhou Laboratory and the University of Science and Technology of China. Cell fate specification is the process where cells are guided by molecular signals and genetic cues towards developing into cell types with different functions. 'A single fertilised egg gives rise to hundreds of cell types that form different tissues and organs. This process is intricately orchestrated. If abnormalities occur, they are likely to lead to diseases,' co-corresponding author Fang Xiaodong, vice-president of BGI-Research, said.
South China Morning Post
07-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Science of food security: Chinese unlock gene secret at root of drought-tolerant rice
Chinese scientists say they have unearthed genetic secrets in the roots of upland rice linked to drought resistance, paving the way to transform widely cultivated irrigated rice into drought-tolerant varieties. Advertisement They say they have identified a gene that could obstruct the development of deeper, thicker roots in upland rice, characteristics that are crucial for drought resistance. By removing this gene, called HMGB1, irrigated rice developed longer roots and greater drought tolerance, traits similar to those of upland rice, enabling it to thrive in water-scarce environments, according to their paper. Researchers from BGI-Research, Huazhong Agricultural University in the central city of Wuhan and Yunnan University, in southwestern China, published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Plant in April. 03:57 'We won't survive': Thai rice farmers brace for impact of US tariffs 'We won't survive': Thai rice farmers brace for impact of US tariffs 'Upland rice is a special rice ecotype that specifically adapts to dryland mainly due to its robust root system,' they wrote. 'Among the identified genes, HMGB1, a transcriptional regulator, functions as a key factor that facilitates root elongation and thickening in upland rice and thereby enhances drought resistance.
