Tanaka Lab

We study the regeneration of complex body structures in four-legged animals and why it occurs in some species and not others. Our main model is the highly regenerative salamander, Ambystoma mexicanum, commonly called the axolotl. We have honed the molecular genetics in this animal so that we can study the stem cells that fuel regeneration, and identify the factors required to yield successful regeneration. We have recently added the frog Xenopus laevis, and the mouse Mus musculus to our repertoire to understand why regeneration fails.