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Importance
Cure to Cancer
They are one of the only animals who cannot get cancer
More recently, in 2011, extract from axolotl oocytes has been used to stop breast-cancer cells multiplying by switching on a tumor-suppressor gene2. Researchers say that proteins found in axolotls are responsible for shrinking tumors.
Photo Credit:Brett Gundlock
Cultural Significance
Axolotls have very strong historical ties to Aztec civilization
Axolotls are named after the Ancient Aztec god, Xolotl. He was the god of fire, lightning, sickness, and deformities. The ancient Aztecs believed that, due to the axolotls strange look and regenerative powers, axolotls were a manifestation of the god Xolotl and resemble the lake system that sustained them. Many Aztecs thought axolotls were a gift of food, supplied for them in the lake.
Photo Credit:Kevin Yulianto
A Model Organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena
Limb loss affects nearly 2 million people in the United States alone, but axolotls don't have to worry about losing limbs because of their ability to regenerate. In 2018, it was discovered that axolotls possess species-specific genetic pathways that may be responsible for limb regeneration.
Photo Credit:Dario Lopez-Mills
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