Scientists regulate head regeneration in planarians, what about humans?

For most flatworms, cutting it in half will result in two flatworms. The front half will grow a new tail, and the back half will grow a new head – with a fully functional brain. However, some species of worms lack this ability, at least when they need to regrow a head. Now, researchers from three teams have not only focused on the biological reasons behind this limitation but have also successfully restored the worm's full regenerative capacity by manipulating a single gene pathway.

The papers published in *Nature* support the idea that regeneration is not something that evolved independently in a few species, but rather a function that might have been lost during the evolution of other species. The common ancestor of all life forms on Earth may have had the ability to regenerate. Sikes noted that even humans can regenerate under certain circumstances, such as when children under 2 years old regenerate fingertips. Therefore, since scientists can now restore the lost regenerative ability in flatworms, could they also "restore" this ability in other animals like humans? "It’s a strange idea, but there’s some evidence for it in these three papers," Sánchez said.

Sikes was more cautious: "Will humans ever regenerate like planarians? Never." Nevertheless, he still pointed out that the new research shows that "even if an animal cannot regenerate, its hidden potential remains latent. The key now is how to unlock this potential."