5 replies to this topic

[Luna]

http://www.thaindian..._100118879.html

London, Nov 14 (ANI): In a breakthrough study, Spanish scientists have created a genetically modified supermice that can resist cancer and which age almost half as fast as other mice.

The research team from Valencia University modified the genes of the mice to make them resistant to cancer and slow down aging by increasing the amount of a particular protein called telomerase.

[Prometheus]

Here's the press releases: http://www.cnio.es/e...ternacional.pdf

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2008.09.034

What's cool about this study is that they originally crossed super53 mice (enhanced DNA damage response) and Ink4a/Arf (increased cancer resistance) and got extended lifespan plus increased cancer resistance (published in Nature 2007, Matheu et al). Then they crossed Tert enhanced mice and showed even greater lifespan and reduced cancer resistance (published last month in Cell 2008 Tomas-Loba et al). What's more is that the mice had enhanced IGF1 levels! Not the crappy dwarf mice anymore! They had improved coordination, nerve function and insulin response compared to age-matched controls. These were healthy kick-ass mice. Cancer and diabetes free.

They lived on average for 3 years which is quite amazing as anyone who has worked with mice will tell you. Whatsmore is that the survival curve was not sigmoid but instead dropped fairly steeply at around 3 years.

Phenomenal discovery. Only problem is that these mice were generated with gene knock-ins - not legal to do this with human (embryos).

[manofsan]

Phenomenal discovery. Only problem is that these mice were generated with gene knock-ins - not legal to do this with human (embryos).

Oh well, then do it with monkeys/chimps or whatever our closest analogues are in the meantime.

[Prometheus]

Phenomenal discovery. Only problem is that these mice were generated with gene knock-ins - not legal to do this with human (embryos).

Oh well, then do it with monkeys/chimps or whatever our closest analogues are in the meantime.

Takes too long - they have 40-year lifespans. By then the singularity will explode and we will all be connected to cable TV by wireless implants feeding direct to our optic nerves and McDonalds will offer free home delivery. Who will have time to be concerned with such trivialities as embryo knock-ins?

[manofsan]

Takes too long - they have 40-year lifespans. By then the singularity will explode and we will all be connected to cable TV by wireless implants feeding direct to our optic nerves and McDonalds will offer free home delivery. Who will have time to be concerned with such trivialities as embryo knock-ins?

Well, then we'll just have to make do with continual on-the-fly ad-hoc repairs using stem cells, until we can engineer that long-lifespan genome.

[Prometheus]

Takes too long - they have 40-year lifespans. By then the singularity will explode and we will all be connected to cable TV by wireless implants feeding direct to our optic nerves and McDonalds will offer free home delivery. Who will have time to be concerned with such trivialities as embryo knock-ins?

Well, then we'll just have to make do with continual on-the-fly ad-hoc repairs using stem cells, until we can engineer that long-lifespan genome.

A sensible approach.