Axolotl: the Mexican animal that regenerates its brain

In the immensity of biodiversity that exists on the planet we can find unique qualities, such as mammals of the order of monotremes. These animals stand out for retaining reptilian qualities, such as reproduction by means of eggs, or the fact of having a cloaca, a single orifice for the exit of the digestive, urinary and reproductive tracts. But another even more striking example is the axolotl or Mexican axolotl.

It is an amphibian that has an impressive characteristic: the regenerative ability of parts of his body it is highly effective. They easily recover from a severed limb and even repair severely damaged vital organs, including the brain, without problem. In a matter of months, these wounds completely disappear, leaving no scar.

The axolotl, an eternally young amphibian

the axolotl, or Ambystoma mexicanum, is an amphibian of the order of the caudates (in other words, of the family of salamanders and newts), which has the peculiarity that retains its features as a larvae until reaching adulthood, a characteristic known as neoteny. This means that it maintains the dorsal fin that runs throughout its body and

has external gills, which form a crown on his head. By maintaining these qualities, it needs to live permanently in the water, unlike other congeners.

Just because its larval qualities don't disappear doesn't mean it can't mature. If an axolotl is subjected to high levels of stress (such as sudden temperature changes), can perform metamorphosis, becoming a kind of terrestrial salamander, although they are very rare cases.

The regeneration of body parts, an amazing attribute

But what has attracted the most attention from the scientific community is the high capacity to regenerate that the axolotl possesses. It is possibly the largest existing on the planet. In fact, entire portions of the brain can be regenerated without sequelae. Knowing the cellular mechanisms that are used for the complete repair of damaged tissues is a mystery that could have applications in current medicine.

captive animal

The location of this amphibian is very limited, since it It currently only inhabits Lake Xochimilco, in Mexico City.. In the past, it spread throughout the region, but water pollution has managed to reduce the number of this species, which is very sensitive to environmental changes. It is currently included in the list of endangered animals and its observation in its natural habitat is something very rare.

For this reason, the axolotl is bred in captivity to preserve its existence. The truth is that it has adapted well to this kind of life, without presenting problems to reproduce. Another reason that makes it a good model for laboratory use.

model organism

Due to its regeneration capacity, the axolotl is subject to study to discover the cellular mechanisms that are used to redevelop lost tissue, including repair of vital organs. In addition, they are animals whose bodies accept transplants with ease, something unusual.

But it is also a model of embryonic development. This is due to another characteristic that they offer, and that is that their embryo is transparent. Added to their ease of reproducing in captivity, the eggs they lay allow us to observe, through a microscope, the development of a new organism in all its splendor.

Their adaptation to life in captivity has also had an effect on their genetics. The natural skin colors of the axolotl are black and brown., but in breeding they have obtained different colors, such as yellow and even albinos, in other words, without pigmentation. Possibly, if you have seen any photos of this amphibian, it will have been of the latter type.

Regenerate tissues in humans

Based on their research, part of the scientific community believes that focusing studies on discovering how they regenerate their bodies can be extrapolated to human beings in the future. Knowledge of these cellular mechanisms could help make the possibility of recover a lost limb or fight neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson.

It is not surprising that governments like the United States invest millions in research on the axolotl, hoping that it will allow tissue regeneration in humans. In his specific case, for the recovery of serious injuries to his soldiers.

Until now, the most that has been achieved in terms of regeneration in humans is the recovery of a fingertip. It is a long way to go to repair a complete limb, including bone and muscle.

In danger of extinction

Despite all that has been said, the axolotl is an animal that is in danger of extinction for living in a very specific area of ​​Central America and due to the levels of contamination found in she. Being an aquatic organism, it is very sensitive to poisoning from these places. To this must be added to its capture and breeding to market it as a domestic pet, and in some cases, to be an ingredient in recipes.