The regeneration game: Getting all touchy-feely.

The article focuses on the process of regeneration in the human body. It explains the impact of the interplay between cells, genes and the body's internal environment. The experiment of Dennis Discher, a biophysical engineer at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues using atomic force microscopy to measure the stiffness of a variety of tissues and gel pads is discussed. It is believed that the growth of tissues must be coordinated as bodies encounter injuries and cues are used to make tissues adapt quickly as conditions change.