A research group led by Fumiya Sato, a master's degree student at Nagoya University Graduate School (at the time of the research), conducted joint research with Hiroshima University, Hokkaido Chitose Rehabilitation University, and Rakuno Gakuen University, and found that newt tendons have a simpler structure than mouse tendons. This was found to be the key to tendon regeneration.
When a tendon is injured, the current treatment is to preserve the injured area, or to perform surgical procedures such as suturing, administration of platelets, and transplantation of autologous tendon.However, with either method, it takes several months for an athlete to return to competition, and there is no established treatment method that completely restores a torn tendon.
Newts have attracted attention for their strong regenerative ability, which can even regenerate limbs and hearts.This time, the research group conducted the world's first study to investigate the regenerative ability of newts by reproducing everyday tendon injuries and comparing the healing process with mice.
As a result, in newts, the severed tendons were connected by new tissue (regenerated tissue) similar to tendons 6 weeks after surgery, and the regenerated tissue showed strength equivalent to healthy tendons 12 weeks after surgery.On the other hand, in mice, after amputation, a healing tissue different from the tendon was formed to wrap around the entire amputated tendon, and its strength remained lower than that of healthy tendon even 12 weeks after surgery.
Comparing healthy tendons in newts and mice, they found that newt tendons have a simpler structure than mice.This revealed how newts form new tendons at cut sites by reproducing the structure of a simple tendon.
Future research is expected to be applied to the development of medical technology that allows not only professional athletes but also ordinary people to quickly recover from tendon ruptures and injuries and return to competition and daily life.
