Regrowing Human Limbs

Five years of war in Iraq - and the physical wounds that go along with it - have led to a renaissance of sorts in the field of high-tech artificial limbs. But some researchers are working on a much more radical solution for amputees: limb regeneration.

When a salamander loses a leg, a new one grows back automatically. Scientists are trying to figure out if they can unlock the same potential in human beings. John Rennie is the editor-in-chief of Scientific American, which just published an article about limb regeneration. He joins Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott to talk about it.


Click here to read Regrowing Limbs: Can People Regenerate Body Parts? from the April issue of Scientific American.

(Photo by Mrs. Maze)