An unusual science experiment: mice with deer antlers

An unusual scientific experiment is being carried out by several Chinese research centers, as they are trying to introduce deer antlers into the tissue to work on the issue of tissue regeneration. mice.

The idea was to use a sika deer as a model. The authors isolated several cells from the horns of these animals whose habitat extends from the south of Siberia to Vietnam, including Japan, Taiwan and a number of other islands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of China.

Once the cells were isolated, they analyzed which genes involved in regeneration and, in addition, they observed which stem cells increased their activity in the days before and after the loss of horns.

The authors of this study saw that there is a very active type of stem cell. just 10 days before the horns came off. However, 5 days later branch, it was a different type of stem cell that remained more active. Each played a role, so both were grown in the lab and implanted in the heads of mice.

Forty-five days after implantation of deer stem cells, tiny antlers could already be seen on the heads of mice. This is due to the fact that stem cells differentiate into bone cartilage tissuewhich just intervenes in the repair bone fractures.

Everything is aimed at creating research strategies for regenerative medicine in humans.