If you are a Harry Potter fan you probably know that Madame Pomfrey can magically regrow bones, even if they have been completely removed by a fumbling wizard professor. (Can’t remember that? Check out Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to refresh your memory!) But what if his entire arm was missing? Could she grow a new arm for Harry? A lot of creatures in nature, like salamanders and starfish, can already do this, and they don’t have any help from magic…Unless you consider Mother Nature magic, which she may well be considering all the amazing feats she performs!

How do creatures like salamanders grow new limbs? No one knows for sure, but scientists would love to find out. This knowledge could be applied to human beings and one day growing new bones may be no big deal. And scientists now think they may have a clue to help them solve the mystery. The answer may lie in single protein called nAG. Proteins are molecules that are found in all parts of your body, such as your heart, muscles, and brain. But they can also act as messengers or signallers. In the case of the salamander, the nAG protein signals special cells called stem cells to start dividing to make new cells, and eventually a new limb. (In other words, nAG nags the stem cells to get going!) Stem cells are very special cells because they can transform into any other type of cell. All animals have stem cells, including human beings.

Can the nAg protein help regrow human limbs in the future? Only time, and science, can tell. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all. Would you?