From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Fri Jul 19 2002 - 09:06:34 MDT
On Fri, Jul 19, 2002 at 09:42:43AM -0400, Dickey, Michael F wrote:
>
> Interesting article, though I dont see where the mice were actually
> 'genetically engineered' the author of the article only says they added the
> protien beta-catenin, which 'helps control cell division'. It later says
> "next step is to see if the beta-catenin gene is abnormal in cases of mental
> retardation " Is Beta-Catenin a gene or a protien?
Beta-catenin is a protein, but it is encoded in a gene with the
same name. They did insert the gene (together with a fluoroscent
protein marker) in the genome; since it now existed in two copies
and one was not regulated by the ordinary regulators they got a lot
more catenin than normally.
> So, we clone stem cells from a subject, bath them in this protien while
> injecting the juice into someones head, used to combat alzhiemers or add a
> few billion nuerons to our existing brains...
We have to dream about this a bit longer. This gene is very much
involved in early embryo development but should be turned off later
on, so it is not likely to be beneficial when one is an adult.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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