No, it’s not the mouse version of a Mohawk. These creatures, the subjects of a new study, were implanted with follicles made from human cells, which soon took root and grew normally.
Only slightly less creepy than this mouse with human ear cells on its back, the animals would even grow their new hairs back if they were plucked out.
The team that conducted the research came from universities across Japan, and was led by Dr. Takashi Tsuji, a professor at the Research Institute for Science and Technology at Tokyo University of Science (TUS).
Dr. Tsuji’s lab at TUS specializes in cutting-edge regenerative medicine, and was also responsible for the 2011 experiments that used stem cells to regrow a tooth in a mouse’s mouth.
As for the new research, Dr. Tsuji told the Associated Press, “At this point, this kind of precise cellular operation is only possible by our team.”