Cloning humans for organ transplant? Nah, thanks, I'll just have it printed :)

Cloning humans to solve the lack of organs for transplant seems to be a good idea since long lists for transplant are no close to an end.

An American company is making good progress on a new technology that might be the key to solve the tedious problems of organ transplant. The technology that this company is using, is the one that prints 3D copies of organs that are totally functional in the human body.

So far, this technology allows to create only organs like the skin, because more complex organs need to be created with very small features like blood vessels, detailes that this technology is unable to do. Of course in the future, the possibility of reaching the level of creating more complex organs is very high.

In this video you can see how the process is done.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sWyeO4oxVtY

Although this tech is really amazing, it allows us to critically think about this topic of creating organs in a controlled environment, because just like cloning is a very controversial topic, because of the risks and the limits that humans may follow, this technology is very "dangerous" too, because if we keep moving forward with this, in the future we might be able to create a human being, just like now we create organs like the skin.

What's your stance on this topic? Do you think that this technology can become something "dangerous"? Do you think that nature, and biological processes related to procreation, will not be needed any more? In case you are in need of an organ, would you agree on receiving and lab-created one?

We can keep on asking lots of questions, but the thing is that medicine and technology are making gigantic steps in this field, and you never know what is going to be the next thing that is going to surprise us all.

Here's another video related to the topic that provides more information, enjoy.

http://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_printing_a_human_kidney.html

Cruelty and science

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL9AWYNVFm0


After watching a YouTube video about an American museum, where  thousands of unbelievable creepy human parts were kept, I started to wonder if those people who all themselves "animal rights defenders" had actually a point criticizing animal usage in scientific experiments.
How does this relate with animals? Well, first of all, let me give you the context of the video.
Dr. Thomas Mutter gained immortality donating his personal collection of medical samples to Philadelphia University, he also donate something more valuable to society, the awareness of the need of experimentation within medical science. He thought that medical students should experiment and practice with actual bodies, that a "cure" was reachable only throughout scientific investigation and not old folks tales. Because of his belief, he conducted experiments and made his students practice with actual bodies, most of them stolen from cemeteries. Is in this point of the story where I would like to focus: medical progress was obtained through unlawful means, due to Catholic's conceptions of death and human body. Now, a hundred and more years later, scientific progress is also susceptible to critics under the current conception of cruelty.
Therefore, we can infer that what is thought to be true during a period of time may not be right, also may damage scientific efforts to reach knowledge and can be an obstacle to human development.
So, after a long road of science opposing to current beliefs we stand in front of a big question: Is any effort (even those that are illegitimate) to reach knowledge valid?.
 Time has prove this to be right.

Beneficial venom ...?

Chamomile for stomachaches, lemon and honey for your flu, and the always well received aloe vera for healing scars; grandma always says that there isn’t better thing than nature’s products, and among life continues scientists have done a lot of efforts to reinforce that thought.

A most recent discovery involves an always feared and not so beloved animal, but after this that situation may change. I’m talking about the Black Mamba, one of the most dangerous snakes in South Africa, whose venom have been proved to contain a powerful painkiller that may surpass the well-known morphine.

Opiates such as morphine are known for being used by several well-known artists because of its effectiveness in treating pain, but is also known because of its addictive qualities and for causing vomit, strong headaches, muscle twitching and difficulty thinking to consumers. But this recently discovered pain-reliever molecule has all the benefits of a painkiller but without the side effects mentioned.Snake venoms contain toxins that can lower pain by activating some parts of the brain. Scientists tested isolated pain-killing proteins taken from this animal on mice - named mambalgins - , and the result was a total pain relief which later studies tested on human cells proved to work in a similar way in people.

Although this is still in diapers and needs for more testing, scientists and doctors are pretty optimistic in the development and effectiveness of this new drug which promises to make a change in lots of treatments, don’t you think?

Living like Ken: An option for men?

A recent study conducted by scientists of the University of Inha in South Korea, showed that eunuchs–men that have been castrated, who existed there for centuries—were able to live a longer life. After studying the genealogical records of the members of the imperial court of the Chosun Dynasty (from 1392 to 1910 D.C.), scientists discovered a range of life of 14 to 19 years longer than common men.

This recent study suggests that testosterone, the primary masculine hormone, might be the responsible for life shortening. According to one of the investigators of the group, this hormone is known for reducing immunity functions and raising the probabilities of heart diseases as its production generates high levels of stress for the body; since castration stops testosterone production, negative effects related to this hormone decrease as well.

Among the number of men considered in this study, 3/81 lived more than 100 years—something that, considering how long ago this was, is a huge achievement. Although some might suggest that this fact was more related to the life style eunuchs had in the imperial palace, evidence shows that they spent the same amount of time inside and outside the palace; even more, kings and male members of the royal family lived for only 40 to 50 years.

Fortunately for us, women do not have to worry about this, as we usually live longer according to statistics; so now is up to you guys to judge and choose: quantity or quality? Can you have both?