Salamander Insights Into Ageing and Rejuvenation

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Jun 7:9:689062. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.689062. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Exhibiting extreme regenerative abilities which extend to complex organs and entire limbs, salamanders have long served as research models for understanding the basis of vertebrate regeneration. Yet these organisms display additional noteworthy traits, namely extraordinary longevity, indefinite regenerative potential and apparent lack of traditional signs of age-related decay or "negligible senescence." Here, I examine existing studies addressing these features, highlight outstanding questions, and argue that salamanders constitute valuable models for addressing the nature of organismal senescence and the interplay between regeneration and ageing.

Keywords: axolotl; cancer; cellular senescence; negligible senescence; newt; regeneration.