Imaginal disc regeneration takes flight

- Drosophila imaginal discs are capable of regeneration after damage.
- Genetic tools enable specific regions of imaginal discs to be ablated in situ.
- Reactive oxygen species, protein kinases and cytokines function in would healing.
- Regenerative growth uses many of the same genes that function in normal growth.
- Chromatin states impact regenerative capacity and plasticity during regeneration.

Drosophila imaginal discs, the larval precursors of adult structures such as the wing and leg, are capable of regenerating after damage. During the course of regeneration, discs can sometimes generate structures that are appropriate for a different type of disc, a phenomenon termed transdetermination. Until recently, these phenomena were studied by physically fragmenting discs and then transplanting them into the abdomens of adult female flies. This field has experienced a renaissance following the development of genetic ablation systems that can damage precisely defined regions of the disc without the need for surgery. Together with more traditional approaches, these newer methods have generated many novel insights into wound healing, the mechanisms that drive regenerative growth, plasticity during regeneration and systemic effects of tissue damage and regeneration.