Transcriptomic analysis of scar-free wound healing during early stages of tail regeneration in the green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis

Among amniote vertebrates, lizards have retained the ability to regenerate their tails including the spinal cord, cartilage, muscle, blood vessels, and skin. Regrowth of the lizard tail is preceded by scar-free wound healing and factors induced during this stage are responsible for initiating regeneration. In this study, we have identified differentially expressed genes involved in the inflammatory and proliferative stages of scar-free wound healing in the green anole lizard as well as a transitional phase occurring at 2 days. Understanding how the initial wound healing processes in a regeneration-enabled amniote such as the lizard compares to non-regenerative mammalian models will be critical to developing regenerative medical therapies.

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