Axolotl Salamanders and — Medical Science?

If North Americans ride south down Mexico way (the caravans of people who dislike their own countries are headed north, so you should not get too crowded), keep a-goin' to Mexico City. The southern part. There you'll find the lake that's home to axolotl salamanders.

Wikimedia Commons / Stan Shebs (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Those still in the wild need protection because they are in danger of extinction. Interestingly, to keep the lineage going and enrich the gene pools (problems with inbreeding...just ask the Habsburgs), the axolotls that people keep as exotic pets are usually hybrids of their cousins the tiger salamanders. Different species, but same created kind.

Our Creator gave us minds to use, and we do that to study and care for nature. When medical science and technology reached a level of advancement, we began to discover ways to alleviate diseases and suffering. Who would have thought that the axolotl salamander would have been the inspiration for several areas of medical research? Mayhaps its unique (and could be considered cute) traits attracted the attention of scientists.

Studying axolotl regeneration has increased our knowledge of everything from embryonic development to organ transplants to amputations. Additionally, axolotls are over 1,000 times more resistant to cancer than mammals, so they’ve contributed to the research of curing cancer. In fact, an extract derived from axolotl egg cells successfully halts the spread of breast cancer.

You can read the rest or listen to the audio by a fabulous reader over at "Axolotl — Forever Young".