4 ms·

> I just think this is a procedure that gets a lot of hype and it takes away from us pursuing something that might be better overall Growing organs from your D

> I just think this is a procedure that gets a lot of hype and it takes away from us pursuing something that might be better overall Growing organs from your DNA seems like the thing that would clearly work, if it could be done. Seems people are working on it. Some google results talk about growing those organs in genetically-modified pigs (!). Don't know how far away it is.

DoreenMichele 4y ago
That's not at all the kind of alternative I have in mind and would be of essentially zero use in cases of organ transplant for people with genetic disorders. (Edit: For example, cystic fibrosis accounted for a third of all adult lung transplants in the US and half of all pediatric lung transplants last I checked.)
- waterhouse 4y ago
  Would it really? If you're doing genetic engineering already and you know what the genetic disorder is, it seems like you could then engineer a version of your DNA without the disorder and grow an organ from that.
  - DoreenMichele 4y ago
    It would, by definition, at that point no longer be identical to your DNA. I have no idea if at that point you risk rejection, etc.
    - pkaye 4y ago
      I think if the new DNA kept the DNA encoding for the HLA markers there wouldn't be any rejection risk. HLA markers allow the immune system to tell which cells belong to your own body. When they do transplants, they check for HLA compatibility much as possible.
    - andrewflnr 4y ago
      In my understanding, rejection is mostly due to things like cell surface proteins. It looks like cystic fibrosis is in fact a mutation in a surface protein, but at least it's only one. I'm guessing that's manageable...
1letterunixname 4y ago
Ideally, your umbilical cord should be frozen at birth, a non-IPSC line of stem cells created and frozen ready to restore you, and your full genome sequenced. In the distant future, people will have spare organs ready should they be gravely injured.

DoreenMichele 4y ago

That's not at all the kind of alternative I have in mind and would be of essentially zero use in cases of organ transplant for people with genetic disorders. (Edit: For example, cystic fibrosis accounted for a third of all adult lung transplants in the US and half of all pediatric lung transplants last I checked.)

waterhouse 4y ago
Would it really? If you're doing genetic engineering already and you know what the genetic disorder is, it seems like you could then engineer a version of your DNA without the disorder and grow an organ from that.
- DoreenMichele 4y ago
  It would, by definition, at that point no longer be identical to your DNA. I have no idea if at that point you risk rejection, etc.
  - pkaye 4y ago
    I think if the new DNA kept the DNA encoding for the HLA markers there wouldn't be any rejection risk. HLA markers allow the immune system to tell which cells belong to your own body. When they do transplants, they check for HLA compatibility much as possible.
  - andrewflnr 4y ago
    In my understanding, rejection is mostly due to things like cell surface proteins. It looks like cystic fibrosis is in fact a mutation in a surface protein, but at least it's only one. I'm guessing that's manageable...

1letterunixname 4y ago

Ideally, your umbilical cord should be frozen at birth, a non-IPSC line of stem cells created and frozen ready to restore you, and your full genome sequenced. In the distant future, people will have spare organs ready should they be gravely injured.