It blocks a protein that binds to a form of vitamin A (retinoic acid) in our cells, known as retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-α).

With nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide being unintended, the need for effective, reversible male contraceptives remains urgent. Despite decades of research, men still have very few birth ...

Research led by the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing has discovered that switching on a single dormant gene enables mice to regenerate ear tissue.

Changing one gene can restore some tissue regeneration to mice Signaling from retinoic acid appears to be key to getting mice to regrow ear damage.

Getting a leg up Retinoic acid is "important in the development of human embryos too, telling the cells where to grow a head, heads and feet," CNN said.

Larger limbs at proximal sites closer to the body, such as arms, contain more retinoic acid and less CYP26B1 (which breaks the retinoic acid down).

A new study reveals the key lies not in the production of a regrowth molecule, but in that molecule's controlled destruction. The discovery could inspire future regenerative medicine.

Studying retinoic acid in axolotls Axolotls don’t naturally glow in the dark. To observe the signaling cues of retinoic acid, Monaghan’s team used genetically modified axolotls that gleam ...

Humans also have retinoic acid and the Shox gene, which means we share the genetic pathways that allow axolotls to regrow body parts—the challenge is how to unlock their power, experts say.

Too much retinoic acid, and a limb can grow back deformed and extra-long, with segments and joints not present in a well-formed leg, hampering an axolotl’s ability to easily move.

Axolotls can regrow limbs. Could they one day help us do the same? A better understanding of how these amphibians grow new appendages may lead to better wound healing—or even new limbs—in humans.

In the arm, for example, this means axolotls have more retinoic acid in their shoulders—and less of the enzyme CYP26B1 that breaks down the molecule—and less retinoic acid in their hands.