PARIS: The African spiny mouse, a desert rodent that has become an exotic pet, can shed up to 60 percent of the skin on its back and fully re-grow the lost tissue, scientists reported on Wednesday.
Understanding the trick could one day help burns victims in need of scar-free skin regeneration, they hope.
The spiny mouse (Acomys) is well-known for eluding hunters by shedding its tail skin, rather as lizards jettison their tail.
Exploring this phenomenon, biologists led by Ashley Seifert at the University of Florida in Gainesville found that the skin-shedding is even greater than expected.
When they picked up two wild-caught specimens, Acomys kempi and Acomys percivali, the mice lost up to 60 percent of the skin on their backs when they were grabbed by hand in a normal manner.
Closer inspection showed the skin to be remarkably fragile, requiring 77 less energy to tear than skin from its cousin the house mouse, Seifert’s team reported in the journal Nature.
But how the animal is able to shed such a big area of skin so easily remains a mystery.
The researchers were unable to find any breakage point. The molecular or biomechanical properties are unclear.
Even more impressive are the mouse’s healing properties. Within 30 days of the skin shedding, a double dermal layer had re-grown, with new follicles and no sign of so-called wound-bed tissue, a precursor of scarring.
The regenerative capacity extended to the mouse’s ears, where a small punched hole became completely recovered with healthy tissue, including sebaceous glands and cartilage.
“Mammals may retain a higher capacity for regeneration than was previously believed,” said the study. “Acomys may prove useful in identifying mechanisms to promote regeneration in lieu of fibrosis and scarring.”
Mouse research may help heal scars
Mouse research may help heal scars
Gigi Hadid introduces sun-washed knitwear in new Guest in Residence drop
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian model Gigi Hadid this week released the first drop of her brand Guest in Residence’s spring/summer collection.
The pictures she shared with her 79.5 million followers on Instagram showed that the new offerings lean into relaxed, sun-washed dressing, blending the brand’s signature knitwear with a more playful, resort-ready mood.
The collection features lightweight cardigans, cropped knits and long-sleeve tops paired with knit shorts, relaxed trousers and soft lounge pieces designed for warm weather.
A palette of coastal blues, butter yellow, soft red, cream and pastel tones runs throughout, complemented by subtle stripes and textured finishes.
Across the images, knits are layered over swimwear or styled as coordinated sets, aligning with the collection’s casual, seasonal direction.
Hadid wrote on Instagram that the newly launched products are now available in stores and retailers worldwide.
The model and entrepreneur’s latest drop was a collaboration with Moon Boot, the Italian snow boot brand. Released in November, Hadid and the brand dropped 16 designs for winter.
A week before that, she launched her winter collection that expanded Guest in Residence’s knitwear offering with cold-weather staples designed for layering.
The range included chunky scarves with fringe finishes, ribbed beanies, knitted socks, striped sweaters, zip-neck tops and relaxed knit polos, alongside straight-leg trousers and casual separates.
A muted winter palette of red, cream, brown, forest green and blue ran throughout, with stripes and textured knits adding visual contrast.
Hadid launched her clothing label, which features soft, colorful knitwear, in September 2022.
“Over the last handful of years, I didn’t want to be backed into starting my own line just because there was an offer on the table or a deal to be made,” she wrote to her followers on Instagram at the time.
“The earliest days of Guest in Residence came about when I started to question the cashmere market, and those answers gave me a path,” she added.
“I believe that because of its sustainable qualities — natural and made to cherish and to pass down — cashmere is a luxury that should be more accessible.”
Celebrities including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Swift and Bradley Cooper have been spotted wearing the label’s designs.
