BPS - Body Positioning System

Stanford biologist have just published a paper on the study and discovery of three genes in fibroblasts, which are contained in the deepest epidural layer and in the surface of most organs. They find that the expression of the genes is correlated with location on the body. It is well known that fibroblasts are responsible for embryonic development of limbs and other body parts, but it was thought that they become dormant after the body is fully formed. The working hypothesis of the Stanford scientist is that these and other genes in the fibroblasts are still active and communicate position information to other cells. This allows skin cells to know how much to regenerate in order to heal wounds. It is still unclear as to whether the gene expression is a remnant of the embryonic development stage or if they are continually active and influencing cellular development. If right, the scientist are hopeful that this may lead to the development of organ and limb regeneration by adult cells instead of embryonic stem cells. There is a NYT article on the study here.