The brain-limb axis: Elucidating CNS mediators of salamander limb regeneration.

Salamanders have the remarkable ability of regenerating complex tissues such as their limbs, brain, and spinal cord. While the requirement of nerve supply to the damaged tissue has been known for centuries, emerging work has emphasized the possibility of a "brain-limb" axis, in which signals from the brain and spinal cord assist in coordinating local responses to injury. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of how regeneration is coordinated on a body-wide scale may provide further insights into how complex vertebrate regeneration is achieved.