how do stem cells regrow when they,re damaged also is there any way to adapt them to regrow limbs and bones if they

Question: how do stem cells regrow when they,re damaged also is there any way to adapt them to regrow limbs and bones if they have had to be anputated???
- Keywords:
  amputation,
  cell,
  damage,
  growth
Asked by lollyockham01 to Aoife on 19 Nov 2013.
- Aoife O'Shaughnessy-Kirwan answered on 19 Nov 2013:
  
  Hi lollyockham01,
  Good question! So once a stem cell population is used up I think that’s pretty much it. Obviously in the case of the embryo they get used up because they provide all the cell types that are needed to make the developing embryo but in the case of skin stem cells for example they are used up because we need them to replace skin cells that are lost thru normal wear and tear throughout our lives. Unfortunately, as you might have noticed human beings can’t regenerate limbs if they lose them! Other animals can though (google an axolotl for example, very cute and they can regrow limbs!) and much research is being done to see can we stimulate those sorts of programs of growth in human beings, it would certainly be very useful!

Question: how do stem cells regrow when they,re damaged also is there any way to adapt them to regrow limbs and bones if they have had to be anputated???