Chinese scientists have grown horns in mice

A group of specialists from the Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xian, China, through genetic engineering, managed to grow structures resembling horns in mice. It is assumed that such technology in the future will be able to help people restore lost limbs, as stated in the publication in the journal Science.

Deer antlers are noted to grow and fall off every year and are the only mammalian body part that can regenerate quickly. Moreover, they are considered one of the fastest growing living tissues in nature. Scientists were able to identify the cells that are responsible for the growth of horns.

According to the researchers, after the loss of limbs, animals develop a population of cells called blastema, which can transform into cells that help grow the limb back. In particular, blastemas responsible for the restoration of antler and bone tissues after molting were found in deer. Using RNA sequencing, scientists analyzed 75,000 cells in the antlers and surrounding tissues of the sika deer.

Researchers have shown that a few days before the molt, deer accumulated stem cells at the base of the antlers, and five days after shedding them, they generated a separate subtype of stem cells called antler blastema progenitor cells (ABPC). Five days later, they began to turn into cartilage and bones.

So, these cells were cultured in a Petri dish, after which the scientists transplanted them into mice. After 45 days, the rodents grew a structure that resembles horns. The researchers suggest that in the future, ABPC can also be used in human cell cultures, which will allow to treat skeletal injuries and restore limbs.