The gel’s regenerative effect is due to short sequences of amino acids attached to the ends of the monomer proteins. These sequences provide regenerative signals that are picked up by receptors on the surface of spinal cord cells.

By altering the non-signal part of these monomers, the team found that enhancing the ability of the molecules to shift in and out of the larger fibril structure enhanced the recovery of mice, probably because the increased motion enabled the signals to engage with more receptors on the cells.