Ask A Scientist© Molecular Biology Archive

name       Liz
status     educator
age        30s

Question - Is it possible that DNA can be used to heal skin damaged by
accidents burns or other trauma? (i.e. reprogramming the damaged area in
vivo to reconstruct itself).

Some animals like salamanders and starfish are able to regrow limbs
after an injury, but the processes that make limb regrowth possible are
not really understood at this time. Current research using embryonic stem
cells has lots of potential similar applications like growing skin
and other organs in the laboratory for clinical use or the regeneration of
brain tissue to treat Parkinson's disease. But this sort of research is
also controversial since the source of cells for this work is a human
embryo.

Christine Ticknor
Ph.D. student
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
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Burns that will not heal or heal badly are a consequence of the sever damage
to rthe stratum geminatival layer and further. These cells that generate
new skin must be replaced...not just DNA.

pf
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