[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20179561[/url]
[quote=BBC News][B]A treatment which corrects errors in a person's genetic code has been approved for commercial use in Europe for the first time.[/B]
The European Commission has given Glybera marketing authorisation, meaning it can be sold throughout the EU.
It is a gene therapy for a rare disease which leaves people unable to properly digest fats.
The manufacturers say it will be available next year.
Gene therapy has a simple premise. If there is a problem with part of a patient's genetic code then change the code.
However, the field has been plagued with problems. Patients have developed leukaemia and in one trial in the US a teenager died.
In Europe and the US, the therapies are used only in research labs.
[B]Fat problems[/B]
Glybera is used to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency. One in a million people have damaged copies of a gene which is essential for breaking down fats.
It means fat builds up in the blood leading to abdominal pain and life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
The only way to manage the condition is by having a very low-fat diet.
The therapy, developed by UniQure, uses a virus to infect muscle cells with a working copy of the gene.
The European Medicines Agency recommended the therapy was made available for the most severely ill patients earlier in 2012.
UniQure chief executive officer Jorn Aldag said: "The final approval of Glybera from the European Commission marks a major step forward in making gene therapies available not only for lipoprotein lipase deficiency, but also for a large number of rare diseases with a very high unmet medical need."
The company said it would apply for regulatory approval in the US and Canada.
China was the first country to officially sanction a gene therapy.[/quote]
I hope it goes well and is expanded to become the norm, this could be a pretty big medical leap.
All I want is the hDEC2 gene, that's all I'm asking. Please.
[QUOTE=mac338;38300134]All I want is the hDEC2 gene, that's all I'm asking. Please.[/QUOTE]
I sleep for 6 hours at most, does that I mean I have that?
It uses a virus to rewrite the cells, eh? I wonder how it works; does it simply have a copy of the functional gene that is written in, or does the virus contain the patient's entire genetic code with the faulty gene replaced, using the patient's code as a reference guide?
Also, if this becomes cheaper and more widespread, there'll be a lot more things fixed, and a lot more angry god-fearing luddites. Hopefully no-one mods UniQure to make zombies, since genetics is a dangerous thing to toy with.
[QUOTE=ironman17;38300195]It uses a virus to rewrite the cells, eh? I wonder how it works; does it simply have a copy of the functional gene that is written in, or does the virus contain the patient's entire genetic code with the faulty gene replaced, using the patient's code as a reference guide?
Also, if this becomes cheaper and more widespread, there'll be a lot more things fixed, and a lot more angry god-fearing luddites. Hopefully no-one mods UniQure to make zombies, since genetics is a dangerous thing to toy with.[/QUOTE]
I think it'll be a standard virus type deal where it's just coded essentially to carry the segment that's required and the DNA to make sure it gets plugged into the right place.
[QUOTE=ironman17;38300195]It uses a virus to rewrite the cells, eh? I wonder how it works; does it simply have a copy of the functional gene that is written in, or does the virus contain the patient's entire genetic code with the faulty gene replaced, using the patient's code as a reference guide?
Also, if this becomes cheaper and more widespread, there'll be a lot more things fixed, and a lot more angry god-fearing luddites. Hopefully no-one mods UniQure to make zombies, since genetics is a dangerous thing to toy with.[/QUOTE]
Viruses work by hijacking a host cell's metabolism to make proteins in the virus DNA/RNA in addition to the host cell's own. Usually, this turns the cell into a virus-making factory until it's so full it bursts open. In this case, it just makes the missing protein.
This is interesting to me, particularly since I have an inconvenient but fortunately not terrible genetic disease.
Amazing how much stuff we can probably do but not realize it.
Edit: Also an ingenious use of virus'. Normally they are the terrifying zombies of the biological world but now they seem nice.
[QUOTE=mac338;38300134]All I want is the hDEC2 gene, that's all I'm asking. Please.[/QUOTE]
I don't know about you, but I like sleeping.
oh shit here comes the Les Enfants Terrible project
I have a minor genetic problem, in that the ligaments for my kneecaps are a little short, making them more likely to dislocate at random.
I mean, if it happens again I'm just going to get the operation done on my father's private healthcare, but this kinda thing is cooler.
[QUOTE=mac338;38300134]All I want is the hDEC2 gene, that's all I'm asking. Please.[/QUOTE]
You have no idea how many other modified genes (natural or otherwise) placed inside me, along with this one. One modification I would love is so my cells are always producing telomerase (of course this isn't quite in our reach because of cancer implications, etc) so I could achieve immortality, unless I have an accident, which is what my next point is about.
Another is to imbue all of my cells with the potential to turn into a totipotent stem cell, so they can heal any injury (at least far more then we can today). But sadly this seems quite a few years away, but we are getting there.
Imagine the possibilities, what mankind can do with this technology, both good and bad, I suck at finishing sentences
[QUOTE=supersoldier58;38300826]One modification I would love is so my cells are always producing telomerase (of course this isn't quite in our reach because of cancer implications, etc) so I could achieve immortality, unless I have an accident, which is what my next point is about.[/QUOTE]
One of the problems with this, is there are a lot of parts in your body that this doesn't directly work for.
You still have teeth that get ground down into nubs, and other parts like that that are not continuously replaced. Without implants, or some major changes to how certain elements in the body are replaced, you still run into problems.
[QUOTE=ASmellyOgre;38300334]Viruses work by hijacking a host cell's metabolism to make proteins in the virus DNA/RNA in addition to the host cell's own. Usually, this turns the cell into a virus-making factory until it's so full it bursts open. In this case, it just makes the missing protein.[/QUOTE]
Say, here's a thought; what if one could "back up" their age, storing genetic data from an earlier time in digital form, then converting it into a form that UniQure could apply to your aged genes several decades later, helping you age backwards after ageing forwards.
Also, could this technology be used to add additional genetic information, like extra genes to the chromosomes, as opposed to simply modifying existing genes?
Fucking win. God know what kind of amazing cures could be made with this technology.
Where's The Fox to complain that this is a way to cover-up killing anyone that is against the EUSSR
[QUOTE=supersoldier58;38300826]You have no idea how many other modified genes (natural or otherwise) placed inside me, along with this one. One modification I would love is so my cells are always producing telomerase (of course this isn't quite in our reach because of cancer implications, etc) so I could achieve immortality, unless I have an accident, which is what my next point is about.
Another is to imbue all of my cells with the potential to turn into a totipotent stem cell, so they can heal any injury (at least far more then we can today). But sadly this seems quite a few years away, but we are getting there.[/QUOTE]
no i would prefer people die within a reasonable time frame.
>insert I am Legend reference here<
We'll take it from here, God.
:v:
gattaca time
[QUOTE=thisispain;38304918]no i would prefer people die within a reasonable time frame.[/QUOTE]
Why would you even wish for people to die? You can't use the argument of "bad people live forever" because it's such a what-if, implies that we should spoil technology/science/medicine because of the possibility of bad people, and also the fact that "good people" could live forever too.
If you're going to argue resources, I would think that the 7 Billion people on earth is more of a drain than one guy. More importantly, as medicine and age expectancy grows, so does food technology and farming, as while not directly related, my point is that they're both small pictures that make up a bigger one of human society.
Just because one piece of our culture or life-styles or whatever evolves/improves, does not mean the others stay stagnant.
[QUOTE=doommarine23;38307565]Why would you even wish for people to die? You can't use the argument of "bad people live forever" because it's such a what-if, implies that we should spoil technology/science/medicine because of the possibility of bad people, and also the fact that "good people" could live forever too.
If you're going to argue resources, I would think that the 7 Billion people on earth is more of a drain than one guy. More importantly, as medicine and age expectancy grows, so does food technology and farming, as while not directly related, my point is that they're both small pictures that make up a bigger one of human society.
Just because one piece of our culture or life-styles or whatever evolves/improves, does not mean the others stay stagnant.[/QUOTE]
All of that aside, I don't think most people are mentally capable of handling immortality. The human brain, as amazing as it is, does have limitations, and that's not even getting into the psychological conditions that are bound to develop.
Whether or not those constraints can be worked around or eliminated entirely remains to be seen. Regardless, that's yet another limitation, on top of the laundry list of other problems immortality brings up.
[QUOTE=Zephyrs;38307600]All of that aside, I don't think most people are mentally capable of handling immortality. The human brain, as amazing as it is, does have limitations, and that's not even getting into the psychological conditions that are bound to develop.
Whether or not those constraints can be worked around or eliminated entirely remains to be seen. Regardless, that's yet another limitation, on top of the laundry list of other problems immortality brings up.[/QUOTE]
Honestly, no one can really comprehend nor understand it. None of us have ever lived immortal. But I don't know how bad it would really be, I'd just assume it's like living forever, but you'd just adapt to moving on, having friends that come and go, die unlike you.
Of course, that implies you're special and unique and that others wouldn't become immortal too. If everyone was immortal, and lets ignore things like food, and simply go on a social level, would anything truly change?
A virus used to fix a problem in the genetic code...
Wasn't "I Am Legend" based on this exact idea?
[QUOTE=doommarine23;38307619]Honestly, no one can really comprehend nor understand it. None of us have ever lived immortal. But I don't know how bad it would really be, I'd just assume it's like living forever, but you'd just adapt to moving on, having friends that come and go, die unlike you.
Of course, that implies you're special and unique and that others wouldn't become immortal too. If everyone was immortal, and lets ignore things like food, and simply go on a social level, would anything truly change?[/QUOTE]
I agree, we can't use psychological problems or limitations as a factor against immortality since nobody has come close to experiencing it. In the slightest. Anyone that has lived over a century has already had their mind age to the point where any psychological problems are not applicable to the immortality possibility.
[QUOTE=doommarine23;38307619]Honestly, no one can really comprehend nor understand it. None of us have ever lived immortal. But I don't know how bad it would really be, I'd just assume it's like living forever, but you'd just adapt to moving on, having friends that come and go, die unlike you.
Of course, that implies you're special and unique and that others wouldn't become immortal too. If everyone was immortal, and lets ignore things like food, and simply go on a social level, would anything truly change?[/QUOTE]
You are missing my point entirely.
You don't have an infinite capacity for memory.
So either you start forgetting things, or your brain starts working incorrectly (note that most people with perfect memory have at least some sort of autism). From what I know, there is nothing to suggest that we have a strong capacity to control what we do and do not forget about. So assuming you don't go batshit insane and merely start forgetting things, it's mostly unknown what actually happens. You may begin to forget events from the past. You may forget events that you haven't thought about recently (relatively). It may be entirely random. Most of the options do not bode well for your longterm stability, awareness of yourself, or ability to function.
And once again, this is mostly dealing with physical hardware limitations of your brain. Your consciousness may or may not get really sloppy with time. Analogues to clusterfuck code examples where things have gotten horribly bloated are surprisingly appropriate here.
[editline]3rd November 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Regorc's Chest;38307702]I agree, we can't use psychological problems or limitations as a factor against immortality since nobody has come close to experiencing it. In the slightest. Anyone that has lived over a century has already had their mind age to the point where any psychological problems are not applicable to the immortality possibility.[/QUOTE]
A century is a short time frame.
[QUOTE=Zephyrs;38307781]You are missing my point entirely.
You don't have an infinite capacity for memory.
So either you start forgetting things, or your brain starts working incorrectly (note that most people with perfect memory have at least some sort of autism). From what I know, there is nothing to suggest that we have a strong capacity to control what we do and do not forget about. So assuming you don't go batshit insane and merely start forgetting things, it's mostly unknown what actually happens. You may begin to forget events from the past. You may forget events that you haven't thought about recently (relatively). It may be entirely random. Most of the options do not bode well for your longterm stability, awareness of yourself, or ability to function.
And once again, this is mostly dealing with physical hardware limitations of your brain. Your consciousness may or may not get really sloppy with time. Analogues to clusterfuck code examples where things have gotten horribly bloated are surprisingly appropriate here.[/QUOTE]
I'm sure we could probably solve the memory problem eventually - obviously not indefinitely, but for a fairly long period of time (like thousands of years) by tacking in some additional storage space somehow.
Although, even if you couldn't find a way to wire the brain up to electronic components or bioelectronic components to increase your capacity for memory it might not be so bad a thing to start forgetting things. At least that way life wouldn't start getting repetitive, because you'd have forgotten a lot of the shit you did in the past and you wouldn't feel like you were repeating yourself over and over.
You mentioned "not to mention physological effects".
I simply chose not to comment on your other point, but your right, I should have and I will put it simply.
As my other argument stands, you assume the only thing evolving in our society is morality and aging, which it isn't.
Cybernetics is something that will no doubt combine with us, I have no doubt we will process and store information in artificial ways we could not humanly do.
Yet again, just because one thing (immortality) is achieved does not mean all other sciences, projects, and inventions are halted.
There is a reason I said no one knows.
Because no one is immortal, no one knows what the mind will do when you're immortal or handle it, and no one knows what cyber technology will integrate into us.
[QUOTE=sltungle;38307857]I'm sure we could probably solve the memory problem eventually - obviously not indefinitely, but for a fairly long period of time (like thousands of years) by tacking in some additional storage space somehow.
Although, even if you couldn't find a way to wire the brain up to electronic components or bioelectronic components to increase your capacity for memory it might not be so bad a thing to start forgetting things. At least that way life wouldn't start getting repetitive, because you'd have forgotten a lot of the shit you did in the past and you wouldn't feel like you were repeating yourself over and over.[/QUOTE]
Only if you had complete control over it. Otherwise, who's to say you won't forget something like your name, or something of high value to you?
You are right about storage though. I suspect augmentation will become feasible long before something like genetic immortality does, mainly because work on it is already producing viable results.
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