The immune system's two hands: one blocks healing, one protects it

Why can a mouse regrow a fingertip while our own repairs stall? A Jackson Laboratory team led by James Godwin, publishing in npj Regenerative Medicine, found a balancing act: ordinary helper T cells can kill the progenitor cells — the starter cells needed to rebuild bone — while their regulatory cousins shield those same cells and let regeneration proceed. Strengthening the protective side restored regrowth in the lab. It is mouse work, years from any clinic, but it names the exact lever future therapies for severe injuries would need to move.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation