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You are here: Home / Science & Technology / Organ Regeneration

Organ Regeneration

by John Cole|  September 29, 20058:58 am| 25 Comments

This post is in: Science & Technology

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This is pretty amazing:

Genetically altered mice discovered accidentally at the Wistar Institute in Pennsylvania have the seemingly miraculous ability to regenerate like a salamander, and even regrow vital organs.

Researchers systematically amputated digits and damaged various organs of the mice, including the heart, liver and brain, most of which grew back.

The results stunned scientists because if such regeneration is possible in this mammal, it might also be possible in humans.

The researchers also made a remarkable second discovery: When cells from the regenerative mice were injected into normal mice, the normal mice adopted the ability to regenerate. And when the special mice bred with normal mice, their offspring inherited souped-up regeneration capabilities.

Read the whole thing.

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Reader Interactions

25Comments

  1. 1.

    Nikki

    September 29, 2005 at 9:35 am

    We’ll never be able to kill a mouse again.

  2. 2.

    Jorz

    September 29, 2005 at 9:38 am

    Did you see later on in the article where they bonded adamantium to their skeletons…

  3. 3.

    mark

    September 29, 2005 at 9:49 am

    it’s all part of the designer’s plan. :-)

  4. 4.

    Krista

    September 29, 2005 at 9:50 am

    That IS amazing. When you consider how many people are currently on waiting lists for organ donation, practical application can’t come soon enough.

    Poor mousies…at least they’re suffering for something a lot more noble than testing mascara, though.

  5. 5.

    Slartibartfast

    September 29, 2005 at 10:21 am

    Imagine the bennies for the cattle industry: just slice off a tenderloin, and wait for the animal in question to regrow.

    If we can make them cooperate a bit, it’d warp the meaning of “self-serving” more in the Doug Adams direction.

  6. 6.

    jobiuspublius

    September 29, 2005 at 10:26 am

    Promising and scary. I wonder what other marvelous accidents can be found. The next plague is going to be fun.

  7. 7.

    Blue Neponset

    September 29, 2005 at 10:30 am

    Take that Lorena Bobbit!!

  8. 8.

    Lines

    September 29, 2005 at 10:31 am

    This is all part of the answer to the ultimate question!

    We’re being ruled by the mice and you people have no clue. Damn Republicans, always keeping the good mouse down.

  9. 9.

    jobiuspublius

    September 29, 2005 at 10:46 am

    Slartibartfast Says:

    Imagine the bennies for the cattle industry: just slice off a tenderloin, and wait for the animal in question to regrow.

    Ouch, gruesome. On a lighter note, imagine if bovine muscle tissue and blood could be grown in a lab.

  10. 10.

    Lines

    September 29, 2005 at 10:51 am

    Are we turning the corner on mouse organ/tissue regeneration?

    Would anyone have predicted that the organ failure would have occurred?

  11. 11.

    Slartibartfast

    September 29, 2005 at 11:16 am

    Only the best tasting tuna get to be starfish!

  12. 12.

    demimondian

    September 29, 2005 at 11:36 am

    So, John…why do you support research like this, yet oppose research into things like the space elevator and carbon dioxide sequestration? You do realize that the key area of study that was the basis of this work was work on fruit flies with legs where their mouths should be and work on goldfish regeneration after surgical binding, don’t you? How can you support research into those two areas (which clearly have no practical aspect) when you oppose research into the other areas?

    (Yes, I’m sure that someone will say “political bias”. It’s certainly a possibility, but I’d like to understand John’s thoughts here, not the projections of other people.)

  13. 13.

    AWJ

    September 29, 2005 at 12:00 pm

    I, for one, welcome our new immortal rodent overlords!

  14. 14.

    BoDiddly

    September 29, 2005 at 12:01 pm

    What’s really intriguing is that they claim that the mice have regenerated damaged nerve cells. As nerve cells are programmed not to replicate, this could have phenomenal benefits to those who have suffered from brain and/or spinal cord injury. It also, however, could open the door to new concerns about cancer, because neurons are currently immune to the disease because of their non-reproductive nature. True, brain cancer happens, but it’s in the surround cells, not the neural cells themselves.

    So which do you pick, if given a choice? You can potentially genetically alter a person so that paralysis or brain damage can be overcome, but at the same time you’re making them prone to a (likely) untreatable, new form of cancer.

    Big questions ahead . . .

  15. 15.

    tBone

    September 29, 2005 at 12:12 pm

    If we can make them cooperate a bit, it’d warp the meaning of “self-serving” more in the Doug Adams direction.

    Speaking of Adams, does anyone else suspect that these super-mice are actually hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings? The end is nigh.

  16. 16.

    Defense Guy

    September 29, 2005 at 12:17 pm

    I have my towel. I’m fully prepared.

  17. 17.

    tBone

    September 29, 2005 at 12:27 pm

    I have my towel. I’m fully prepared.

    Not yet – you still need beer and peanuts to cushion your system. Get down to the bar, stat.

  18. 18.

    Krista

    September 29, 2005 at 12:34 pm

    “What are we going to do tomorrow night, Brain?”

    “Same thing we do every night, Pinky — try to take over the world!”

    Warner Brothers — ahead of their time, as always.

  19. 19.

    Tim F

    September 29, 2005 at 12:43 pm

    Speaking as a scientist myself, jeebus. They’re sitting on a Nobel prize right there. No question. On the other hand I’ve done that sort of experiment before, where you make a bunch of mutations and look for a result. Like them I made too many mutations; I got my result but it was an unholy bitch figuring out which one caused the “phenotype.” At least they won’t be hurting for money.

    I should add, the part where the effect is transmissible to other mice is scary as hell. Are these clonal mice (equivalent to identical twins)? If not I would be very, very cautious about trying this in people.

  20. 20.

    Defense Guy

    September 29, 2005 at 1:15 pm

    Get down to the bar, stat.

    What makes you think I ever leave it?

  21. 21.

    srv

    September 29, 2005 at 1:23 pm

    Good thing Congress will protect us from this type of experimentation on humans.

  22. 22.

    stickler

    September 29, 2005 at 1:47 pm

    So which do you pick, if given a choice? You can potentially genetically alter a person so that paralysis or brain damage can be overcome, but at the same time you’re making them prone to a (likely) untreatable, new form of cancer.

    That depends. If the organ in question is the liver, boy that would be a real thinker. Beer for breakfast!

  23. 23.

    tBone

    September 29, 2005 at 2:13 pm

    What makes you think I ever leave it?

    Good man. Better safe than sorry, I always say slur.

  24. 24.

    Nelson Muntz

    September 29, 2005 at 6:55 pm

    Regenerate your organ you degenerate!

    I get enough spam of this sort already.

  25. 25.

    Aaron

    September 30, 2005 at 12:16 am

    Vegetarians will be able to eat meat and it won’ be murder.

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