A species of snail once thought to be an invasive nuisance has become a major stepping stone in the medical felid serving as a great model organism. Recent research shows that the golden apple snail could unlock the secret to regenerating lost or damaged human eyes. It essentially explains that the golden apple snail has eyes which are both structurally and genetically similar to human eyes. However unlike humans, this snail has the ability to completely regenerate its eyes if damaged or lost entirely. Further more both snails and humans need the PAX6 gene to grow eyes, Accorsi found that when she disabled that particular gene that the snails could not grow eyes at all. Understanding how these snail regenerate their eyes could provide insight on how to better treat eye injury and disease. Despite being early in the research process the articles suggests that scientists may be able to utilize these mechanics in order to develop and repair human eyes.
Saey, T. H. (2025, August 6). This snail may hold a secret to human eye regeneration. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/snail-human-eye-regeneration
Scanza, R. (2024, March 27). An eye for an eye: The apple snail. Stowers Institute. https://www.stowers.org/news/an-eye-for-an-eye-the-apple-snail
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