Study suggests carbon dioxide inhalation may aid nerve regeneration

What it means

A new study suggests that inhaling carbon dioxide can reverse a developmental switch that shuts off nerve regeneration, potentially enabling damaged nerves to regrow. The research, published as a preprint in October 2026, focused on retinal ganglion cells in mice and found that CO2 inhalation restores mTOR activity, allowing nerve regrowth.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is based on a preprint study reported by New Scientist. The primary source is a bioRxiv preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed, so the findings are preliminary and require validation. The reporting is close to the primary source.

How new

The underlying study was published as a preprint in October 2026, making this genuinely new research, not resurfaced older material.

Go deeper

• New Scientist — first to publish