The various routes to functional regeneration in the central nervous system

The axolotl is a type of Mexican salamander with astonishing regenerative capacity(1). In our recent paper, we identified a signaling heterodimer that is formed directly after injury in the glial cells adjacent to the injury in axolotls. The c-Fos and JunB genes forming this heterodimer are not unique to animals with high regenerative capacity but they are present in humans too. In this paper I propose perspectives on molecular control of regeneration and future directions that need to be taken to advance our understanding of regeneration at a molecular level.