ABSTRACT
The influence of nerves on the process of regeneration in adults has long been recognized, and in recent years, it is also becoming evident that interactions between nerves and target tissues, especially epithelial tissues, are critical to both embryonic development and regenerative development. The factors (e.g., fibroblast growth factor [FGFs] and bone morphogenetic proteins [BMPs]) and downstream signaling pathways that account for the pro-regenerative function of nerves that are conserved in regeneration in axolotls and as well as in growth factor signaling in humans, and the challenge is to discover how to control these signals in time and space. Nerves function during regeneration to control cell migration, dedifferentiation, proliferation, and differentiation. This widespread and conserved function of nerve signaling emphasizes the importance of understanding the pathways involved that must be successfully engineered in order to achieve induced regeneration in humans. Thus, successfully engineering regeneration will necessitate a better understanding of the dynamics of the interactions between nerves and target tissues.
