Ld. Clark et al., A NEW MURINE MODEL FOR MAMMALIAN WOUND REPAIR AND REGENERATION, Clinical immunology and immunopathology (Print), 88(1), 1998, pp. 35-45
Regeneration is generally considered to be a phenomenon restricted to
amphibians in which amputated limbs reform and regrow. We have recentl
y noted a strain of mouse, the MRL, which displays a remarkable capaci
ty for cartilagenous wound closure and provides an example of a phenom
enon previously considered to be a form of regeneration. Specifically,
through-and-through ear punches rapidly attain full closure with norm
al tissue architecture reminiscent of regeneration seen in amphibians
as opposed to scarring, as usually seen in mammals. Histologically, we
have demonstrated normal cell growth and microanatomy, including angi
ogenesis and chondrogenesis, as opposed to control C57BL/6 mice which
have ear holes that contract minimally but do not close. Finally, this
phenomenon is a genetically definable quantitative trait, (C) 1998 Ac
ademic Press.