Discovery of Neurohormone Explains Starfish Limb Shedding

Researchers identify a cholecystokinin-type neurohormone that triggers arm autotomy, shedding light on starfish survival tactics and potential regenerative medicine applications.

Starfish use autotomy to escape predators by shedding limbs, a process now linked to a specific neurohormone.
The identified neurohormone, related to human cholecystokinin, causes muscle contractions that enable limb detachment.
Researchers found that starfish can regenerate lost limbs, a capability that could inform human regenerative medicine.
The study from Queen Mary University of London marks the first identification of an autotomy-triggering neurohormone in animals.
Further research aims to understand the full mechanism of autotomy and its potential applications in medical science.