When it comes to regneration, the salamander is nature's gold standard. Scientists have studied the animals for years trying to figure out how they regrow tails, legs, and even eyes, but despite a few baby steps, they've made little progress. Now a new raft of technologies promises to catapult human healing power into the same league as the amphibians.

Complete with a pistol that sprays skin-healing stem cells (pictured), a tissue-printer that can print human organs, and of course the very famous — and controversial — "pixie dust" derived from pig bladders for regenerating limbs, the newly created Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine will throw $250 million at new therapies to help patch up of fixing soldiers maimed in battle in Iraq. It's always possible that some of the techs may not work out but with a quarter billion dollars of backing, it's probably just a mater of time until you see "Skin Guns" right next to the Band Aids in your local drugstore aisle. (from: PopSci)

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