Name: Jo Ann Cameron

Position: Professor Emerita of Cell and Developmental Biology

Research Description:

Cellular and molecular mechanisms that control amphibian limb regeneration

We conducted studies to provide insight into why most adult vertebrates, including humans, lose the ability to regenerate their limbs. The same principles that apply to developing systems often hold true for regenerating systems. Our laboratory had a longstanding interest in how vertebrate limb pattern is established during development and regeneration. For instance, the developmental potential of salamander limb buds (newly developing limbs) and regeneration blastemas (regenerating limbs) is changed predictably by application of retinoic acid (Ludolph et al., 1993). Successful vertebrate limb regeneration is accomplished by formation, continued growth, patterning, and differentiation of a regeneration blastema at the cut surface of a limb stump. Mature tissues adjacent to the amputation surface lose their extracellular matrix and cells reenter the cell cycle in preparation for stump repair and regeneration of the lost parts. At the cellular level a regeneration blastema resembles the original embryonic limb bud that gives rise to the mature limb.

Contact Information

Address:
Dept of Cell and Developmental Biology
University of Illinois
B107 CLSL
601 S. Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL
61801, USA

Web Page: http://mcb.illinois.edu/faculty/profile/joanncam
Phone:  (217) 333-1254
General/Lab Phone:  (217) 333-1254
General/Lab Fax:  (217) 244-1648