What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore the cellular and systemic factors that influence mammalian digit tip regeneration.

March 26, 2026Open Access

At the tip of regeneration

Key Points

To explore the cellular and systemic factors that influence mammalian digit tip regeneration.
Review of existing literature on mammalian regeneration processes.
Analysis of local tissue environments and their role in blastema formation.
Examination of systemic signals, including immune and neuroendocrine factors.
Identified key roles of the nail organ and fibroblast heterogeneity in regeneration.
Demonstrated how inflammatory dynamics affect tissue repair.
Highlighted the interaction between local cues and systemic physiological regulation.

Abstract

Regeneration requires coordinated cellular responses that restore tissue structure and function following injury, yet regenerative capacity varies widely across vertebrates. In mammals, regeneration is restricted to specific contexts, including the digit tip, where local tissue environments permit blastema formation and patterned repair. Here, we review emerging insights into the local cues governing mammalian digit tip regeneration, focusing on the roles of the nail organ, inflammatory dynamics, fibroblast heterogeneity, and extracellular matrix mechanics. We then place these mechanisms within a broader systemic context, highlighting how immune, endocrine, and neuroendocrine signals shape regenerative outcomes in diverse models. Together, these studies emphasise regeneration as an organism-wide process integrating local repair programmes with systemic physiological regulation.

At the tip of regeneration

Key Points

Abstract

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