Real world science has a funny way of parroting science fiction, like when cell phones came out. What do they remind you of?
I though it was pretty cool when star trek communicators actually turned into cell phones. – captains log –
Actual science has a way of parroting science fiction. In a way we shape our own technology. Somebody thinks up something really cool and then years later there it is.
My favorite part of scifi is the medical stuff. What’s that? You’re spine got snapped in half? No problem. We’ll just grow you a new one. Yeah right. Like that will ever happen.
Well, April 30th 2008 the BBC released an article on a man who did just that. Not a spine. He grew a finger back. And not a whole finger it was just the tip… what? You have start somewhere.
Luckily for Lee Spievak his brother worked in regenerative medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and he got to try out a special powder that grew back his finger tip. See its always who you know. The healing process took about four weeks for the finger and a little longer for the nail to return. The powder is an extra cellular matrix taken from the inside of a pigs bladder. Once the cells them selves are washed out of the structure it is dried and powdered. When applied to a wound it stimulates the cells around it to re-grow the missing portion.
These guys aren’t the only ones doing amazing things. The University of Minnesota has a project using a similar approach. They took rats heart and washed out the cells leaving a gelatin like matrix or structure of the heart. Then they inserted heart cells back into the structure, stimulated it with electricity and there it was. A beating heart. They are currently working on performing the same process with a pigs heart.
So what does this mean. Well, if things go well, cause their not done testing yet, you could theoretically re-grow organs with your own genetic material. Not just hearts, kidneys, livers, pancreases, anything.
Are there side effects? I’m sure there will be. In the case of Lee’s finger they’ve already found one. He has to clip the nail way more often then his other ones. It’s growing too fast.
- kirk: bones I need a new something.
http://wcco.com/health/rat.heart.researchers.2.628747.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7354458.stm
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15 Comments
tomboy
it's cool and scary at the same time.Evilkritter
Awesome! We don't need to worry so much about ethics of this methodology, stem cell research is not necessary!ItzMeRon
Video posted: http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=3&func=view&catid=6&id=50509ItzMeRon
I think they call that special powder you mentioned in the military "Angel Dust"......No, not the drug. lol Awesome video.Meandering
I wish I could regrow my wisdom teeth, that way I can havethem as spares in case I lose any ...steph
thats really cool maybe instead of inplanting organs and needing to get a doner will not have to be worried ...Yam
The BBC seriously screwed up that finger article. A tiny tip of a finger, bad angles a story blown out of ...Scott
Ingrid: Your argument might make sense if you died when you were 5 weeks old. Otherwise pretty obviously your own ...Nordbrandt
If I were to guess I'd say it would be available to those that could afford it. And I doubt ...Jonny H
I wonder if more people watch this than I think they do. There should be more commenting on such well ...Amy
I find the ability to create new organs to be fascinating. The bigger question is who gets to benefit from ...Nordbrandt
When growing new organs "they" take only the healthy cells of whatever they are going to grow. Genetic conditions can ...Ingrid
Yeah, but what does your own genetic material do for you, when your heart is failing due a genetic condition. ...Laura B
Love the show...however, your "Captin Kirk" is horrible! Crewman red shirt...so true, if they had a red shirt they ...Jayder
I once saw something about printing organs with an inkjet printer. They replaced the ink with cells and printed one ...