✅A study by Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, discovered that a protein called Cellular communication network factor 2a (Ccn2a) secreted from intervertebral disc cells induces disc regeneration in aged degenerated discs in humans
✅It is done by promoting cell proliferation & cell survival by modulating the pathway called the FGFR1-SHH (Fibroblast growth factor receptor-Sonic Hedgehog) pathway.

✅It is a small (2-3 cm long) freshwater fish found in tropical and subtropical regions. The fish is native to South Asia’s Indo-Gangetic plains, where they are mostly found in the paddy fields & even in stagnant water & streams.
✅It attracts developmental biologists due to its adequate regeneration capacity of almost all its organs, including the brain, heart, eye, & spinal cord.
✅It has a similar genetic structure (around 70%) to humans.
✅IUCN Red List Status: Least concerned.