Scientist find Gene that might possibly help regrow limbs for humans - Polidicks

[quote]Limb regeneration remains the stuff of science fiction for humans, but an accidental discovery provides a new window into what it would take for people to grow lost limbs with newtlike flair. The finding emerged from research into a gene that can turn back the clock on human cells. Young animals are able to recover from tissue damage much better than adults and can even regenerate tissues in the womb. In recent years researchers have eyed a gene called Lin28a, which is active early in life but silenced in most mature tissues. It can reprogram human somatic (nonreproductive) cells, rewinding them back to an embryoniclike state. The work led researchers to stumble upon another potential role for this gene, which enhances the healing power of mice when reactivated. In the course of his cancer research George Daley of Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School was trying to clip holes in the ears of genetically engineered mice so he could tell them apart when, surprisingly, the wounds kept healing. Then he tried a backup identification technique—clipping off the tips of their toes—but the toes regrew. Daley and his colleagues also waxed the backs of the mice and were shocked to find that the fur rapidly grew back. These lab mice had been genetically engineered so that Lin28a remained switched on rather than shutting down after birth, apparently giving the mice supergrowth abilities. “We knew [Lin28a] could reprogram cells back to embryoniclike stem cells but we made this other discovery largely by accident,” says Daley, whose team’s findings were published in the November 7 issue of Cell. The team found they could replicate the healing abilities of the engineered mice by giving nongenetically altered ones drugs that help activate certain metabolic processes—the same pathway Lin28a stimulates—revving up and energizing cells as if they were much younger.[/quote] [url]http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-limb-regeneration-ins[/url] Fuck yes

lizard man....

Better not tell Atos about this.

If this works, I'd like to have my legs and arms chopped off and fresh new ones grown from the stumps. My current ones are awful, creaky, and in bad condition from being in storage too long.

[QUOTE=CrimsonChin;42822287]If this works, I'd like to have my legs and arms chopped off and fresh new ones grown from the stumps. My current ones are awful, creaky, and in bad condition from being in storage too long.[/QUOTE] It probably would take an extreme toll on your body's resources, meaning you'd probably feel like shit for the several months it would take to regrow your arm.

[QUOTE=CrimsonChin;42822287]If this works, I'd like to have my legs and arms chopped off and fresh new ones grown from the stumps. My current ones are awful, creaky, and in bad condition from being in storage too long.[/QUOTE] limb barbers, I can see it now

That's really cool. Now where is the obligatory science-buff poster to ruin all our hopes and dreams by saying its complete bullshit.

[quote]The power of Lin28a appeared to only extend so far. When mice were no longer babies—at five weeks—[highlight]the scientists were not able to regenerate their limbs[/highlight], even if the gene was stimulated.[/quote]

yeah, probably a long painful full on special diet growing process with weird results is the best we can aim for meaning that it may somehow still provide some functionality back to people.

The power of Lin28a appeared to only extend so far. When mice were no longer babies—at five weeks—[B]the scientists were not able to regenerate their limbs[/B], even if the gene was stimulated. Ding, ding, ding! People! People! Eyes on me! False alarm over here, apologies for the interruption but false alarm! Back to your posts!

Now there's just the question of how to keep the gene in acceptable working conditions when it's stimulated past a certain age. In other words, we need to find the cheerleader.

[QUOTE=Lexic;42822394][/QUOTE] So obviously the first step will be to figure out how to turn people into babies again. Honestly, online games like Dota seem to do the job just well enough.

Oh shit, here we go. Science and technology will just keep getting crazier and crazier

[QUOTE=Lexic;42822394][QUOTE]The power of Lin28a appeared to only extend so far. When mice were no longer babies—at five weeks—the scientists were not able to regenerate their limbs, even if the gene was stimulated.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE] It still seems to enhance regeneration, which is always a plus.

Lost and found Returned to owner by description 1x Wallet 1x smartphone 1x Arm 1x Bracelet

Even if the limb-regrowth part is bullshit, the rest of the rapid-regeneration effects are still awesome. So it's a sort of light healing-factor, since it's not quite strong enough to make entire limbs regenerate.

So would this cause a human to regrow their foreskin?

i wonder what negative side effects this would have if you engineered this into humans, like wouldn't this constant metabolic activity require tons more calories than your average person. i guess you could develope a gene-theropy medicine that you inject into someone who's lost a limb then it forces this on.

There's probably a reason why evolution inhibited that gene, although maybe, with the aid of science, we can fix the problems nature couldn't.

[QUOTE=Ardosos;42823966]So would this cause a human to regrow their foreskin?[/QUOTE] I imagine it would only work on fresh wounds though, not ones that are scarred over, if they somehow triggered the gene to activate at full effect in an already living adult organism. Basically, you'd probably need to be cut again, and therefore be able to not get a boner for a few weeks. Also there's this thing called Foreskin Restoration, can be done manually or surgically, surgically doesn't have very good results, but manual takes years to get any real length, plus you won't have the muscle that closes it around your glans, so it will be like you have a windsock on the end of your dick.

Good for Sofie Fatale, I guess.

I was just watching The Amazing Spider Man literally right before I got on my computer. So I rightfully assume that this will inevitably create large reptilian monsters.

Now copy shark genes so we can regrow our teeth.

teeth would actually be a great place to start [editline]10th November 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=grr164;42824235]I was just watching The Amazing Spider Man literally right before I got on my computer. So I rightfully assume that this will inevitably create large reptilian monsters.[/QUOTE] well since they engineered it from mice, its less this [t]http://www.btlnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/LR-spider_man_lizard_street.jpg[/t] more this [t]http://greydonluterbach.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Ratman.png[/t]

[IMG]http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2013/07/xmenorigins-wolverine.jpg[/IMG]

This kind of regen could be life-changing for all of us, a new metagame for the medical world. Still, we need to advance gene therapy to the point where modifications can be applied in vitro, as a stepping stone to retroviral gene therapy that augments every cell in the body over a period of hours. And that causes me to wonder; if biomechanical augmentation and genetic augmentation become viable over the coming decades, will there be some sort of rivalry between groups of genetic and cybernetic augmentees? I could imagine that people would be comparing the benefits of cyber-augmentation and genetic augmentation, and people may react in a less than professional manner when certain flaws are pointed out in the augmentations that they paid out the arse for; kind of like the console wars only to do with human enhancement and on a much larger scale. I'm not saying there'll be street wars between gangs of "cyborgs" and "mutants", but some animosity between the groups might be possible, especially if for some reason it is not possible for a person to receive both cybernetic augmentations AND genetic augmentations, which would force people to take a side if they want to be augmented. I could imagine one of the arguments being like such; [B]Gene-Aug:[/B] "All those mods and prozzies (prosthetics) need juice, bruv; yous in debt to the power company! Jus' look at me tentacles; I d'needa plug into a wall socket to make 'em work!" [B]Mech-Aug:[/B] "Can your tentacle crunch numbers though? Yeah I gotta plug in my adaptor when I go to sleep, but I'm pretty sure that you can't tell your body to make a computer with the stuff at the clinic." [B]Gene:[/B] "Wouldn't wanna anyways; I'd rather get turned into a bloodsucker than get mind-controlled. I'm not gonna let some NSA hackjob look through me eyes or turn me into one of those proxied zombies!" [B]Mech:[/B] "Really, squire? You're afraid of being hacked? There are firewall apps for that kinda stuff, and if you're afraid you could just turn off your wi-fi..." [B]Gene:[/B] "Thing is, even with patches they're always gonna find a loop'ole or 'ide it as a normal-looking process; I stays off the grid so I can keep me free will!" [B]Mech:[/B] "Well that might work for you, but as a normal member of society I work with the grid so I can do my job! The computers at my office don't even have monitors or keyboards anymore; I have to plug myself in to type things up!" [B]Gene:[/B] "Trust me mate; one day all this is gonna crumble, an' those 'unks of junk yer luggin' around are gonna be dead weight; unlike me genes, y'can't 'and down yer prozzies to yer kids, and the mods I 'ave make it easier to 'unt an' forage. Without the cities, you'll be screwed, but I'll be living off the fuckin' land!" [B]Mech:[/B] "My fists have tasers in them; your argument is invalid." [B]Gene:[/B] *claws extend* "Me skin's tough as a rhino, an' me claws can cut through fuckin' steel; don't even try it mate." Or alternatively, "cyborgs" would argue that "Ze flesh is veak!" whilst "mutants" would argue that "I can regrow my face!"

For a moment I thought you were referencing Deus Ex. Then you mentioned Neuropozyne.

If nothing else, this could open up a door for at least enhanced repair rate and less of an rejection rate for transplanted limbs.

[QUOTE=Chernobyl426;42824442][IMG]http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2013/07/xmenorigins-wolverine.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] don't forget Claire too [t]http://scifimafia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/heroes-sylar-claire-licking-brains.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE=zombini;42822320]It probably would take an extreme toll on your body's resources, meaning you'd probably feel like shit for the several months it would take to regrow your arm.[/QUOTE] Kind of like pregnancy.