We know that starfish and fishing worms can regrow body parts. Their genomic response is to activate the growth of specialized tissue to form a new limb. Our DNA knows how to grow arms and legs, but in adulthood it is completely turned off. The day may come when we can reactivate the part of our genome that results in limb growth. Our body's code knows how to grow new tissue.
Broken bones heal.
New skin forms. But liver cirrhosis is one-way. And silicosis-damaged lungs don't recover. We yearn for the day when doctors, using our own DNA, can direct new tissue growth to stimulate the reformation of damaged tissue. Haseltine's company is working on a drug therapy that uses human DNA to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels.