Lifeboat Foundation

Bowles says. “We’re not changing what is in your genetic code. We’re altering what is expressed. Normally, cells do this themselves, but we are taking engineering control over these cells to tell them what to turn on and turn off.”

Now that researchers know they can do this, doctors will be able to modify the genes via an injection directly to the affected area and delay the degeneration of tissue. In the case of back pain, a patient may get a discectomy to remove part of a herniated disc to relieve the pain, but tissue near the spinal cord may continue to breakdown, leading to future pain. This method could stave off additional surgeries by stopping the tissue damage.

So far, the team has developed a virus that can deliver the gene therapy and has filed a patent on the system. They hope to proceed to human trials after collecting initial data, but Bowles believes it could be about 10 years before this method is used in patients.

Continue reading “Pain in the Neck: Using CRISPR to Prevent Tissue Damage and Neck Pain” »

My new 10-min interview on one of Ireland’s largest talk shows (120,000 listeners). Some of the questions are tough to answer as I strive to protect those in hardship, promote equality, and still remain true to my #libertarian values. Lots of core #transhumanism in this interview.

Zoltan Istvan is a transhumanist who is running for Governor of California. He spoke to Sean about his beliefs that centre around technology and science helping humans.

Show: Moncrieff

Continue reading “Should death be treated as a disease?” »

A major medical organization has endorsed human genetic modification for the first time. THe panel suggested that trials be limited at the moment.

This single pill releases weeks worth of medication.

Mini-brains created in a lab are growing their own blood vessels.

Meet the man who bumped his head and woke up with a brand new talent…

World-first therapy has reversed one French boy’s blood disease.

The technique could be particularly useful for combating blood-related cancers and other disorders, as well as its anti-aging potential.

Cryopreservation is the process of freezing organs and tissues at very low temperatures in order to preserve them. While it sounds simple in theory, only a handful of cells and tissues have survived this method. This is because while science has successfully developed ways to cool organs to the very low temperatures required for preservation, thawing them out has proven far more difficult. As the specimen thaws, it forms ice crystals, which can damage the tissue and render organs unusable.

Right now, the process is only a viable option for small samples, such as sperm or embryos. Previous efforts using slow warming techniques have proven to be effective on samples of that size, but haven’t worked for larger tissue samples, like whole human organs. The inability to safely thaw the tissue has also precluded the theoretical concept of cryogenically preserving entire human bodies, with the intention of reanimating them later. The concept has roots in cryogenic technology, but is actually referred to as “cryonics”, and the scientific community generally considers it to be more science fiction than science fact — at least for the time being.

A recent study has made a significant breakthrough which may well begin closing that gap even more. Using a new technique, scientists were able to cryopreserve human and pig samples, then successfully rewarm it without causing any damage to the tissue.

Continue reading “Scientists Have Made a Huge Breakthrough In Cryogenics” »