Mammalian Models of Adult Tissue Regeneration

Adult tissue regeneration is a rare phenomenon in mammals. Most mammals heal tissue through scarring, which quickly seals the wound and helps prevent blood loss and infection, but this comes at the cost of poor tissue regeneration. Regeneration is typically studied in worms, amphibians, or fish, which gives insights into the biology of respective species but provides limited translation for human therapies. However, several mammals develop adaptations, typically favored by natural selection pressures, to regenerate a specialized tissue (e.g., antlers in deer or skin in bats) or a systemically reduced scar formation that allows multiple tissues to restore their function (e.g., African spiny mice). In this review, we aim to summarize the examples of mammals that regenerate tissues and discuss potential cellular mechanisms that allow their regeneration. The future studies of these exceptional mammals can allow for a greater understanding of mammalian complexity and provide insights for future therapies.