[Igor Antunov]

A panel of scientists and legal experts appointed by the government has drawn up a recommendation that will form the basis of new guidelines for Japan's world-leading embryonic research.

There is widespread support in Japan for research that has raised red flags in other countries. Scientists plan to introduce a human stem cell into the embryo of an animal – most likely a pig – to create what is termed a "chimeric embryo" that can be implanted into an animal's womb.

That will then grow into a perfect human organ, a kidney or even a heart, as the host animal matures.

When the adult creature is slaughtered, the organ will then be harvested and transplanted into a human with a malfunctioning organ.

"This recommendation is a very important step forward and one that has taken us three years to achieve," Professor Hiromitsu Nakauchi, head of the centre for stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the University of Tokyo, told The Daily Telegraph.

Prof Nakauchi's team have already succeeded in injecting stem cells from rats into the embryos of mice that had been genetically altered.

"We can apply the same principles to human stem cells and pigs, although the guidelines have not permitted us to do this yet," he said.

At present, the Japanese guidelines permit scientists to develop chimeric embryos in laboratory conditions for a maximum of 14 days, but the next stage in the process – the embryos being implanted into an animal's womb – is prohibited.

As soon as government officials agree on the details of the revised guidelines – a process that is expected to take 12 months – Prof Nakauchi believes the first pig carrying a human organ can be produced "quite quickly, because the technique has been established already."

The scientists plan to initially breed a pig with a human pancreas as it is a relatively easy organ to create, Prof. Nakauchi said, and perfecting the technique will bring relief to millions of people with diabetes.

Creating kidneys and a human heart will be far more complicated, he said, but are feasible. He suggested that practical use for the organs may be as little as five years away.

Eventually, he hopes to be able to have numerous human organs within each donor animal that can be harvested all at the same time.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/scie ... -year.html

The sad thing is, the technology has been around for years. For countries that have an aged population that is shrinking, this is needed. It would raise life expectancy and working age by a few decades at least.

[Figlio di Moros]

We all know the culprits; it's very sad that while technology well ahead of what we have has existed for years, in some cases decades, that we prevent ourselves from adopting it. I'm sure you're familiar w/ high-altitude launches and MagLauncher technology, which would have preserved and advanced our space efforts- nope, let's continue using chemical launchers from sea level for another two decades until we cut the shuttle program...

Anyways, this would be a good leap forward. I would say we also need to advance research into phage therapy as well, given the inevitable rise of antibiotic-resistant diseases (such as gonorrhea, or the existent MRSA). I'd also suggest GE where applicable; increasing the size or number of spleens could have an exponential result for the quality of our health for example.

[mikema63]

Gene therapy is a tricky little minx to use for anything but a simple recessive disorder.

[Rainbow Crow]

It will raise health care costs and expectations for the elderly by a lot more than it raises productivity.

[Figlio di Moros]

Only true in a neoliberal society, wherein corporations are allowed to charge as much as possible for medical treatments and procure windfall profits; in a reasonable society, the cost of gene therapy would be much lower, it's use would be more spread out, and it's value to productivity, in both reducing sick days and saving money on healthcare costs, would be minimal. Hobbyists are able to manipulate genes in their garage, there's no practical reason gene therapy wouldn't be able to be performed cheaply within a hospital.

[Rei Murasame]

Question: Will any of the genetic material resulting from the growth, be that of a pig? This whole thing seems ridiculously impossible. Why not grow it in a human?

[Rainbow Crow]

Yeah, growing organs one at a time in pigs, that could never be inefficient.

[Figlio di Moros]

Question: Will any of the genetic material resulting from the growth, be that of a pig? This whole thing seems ridiculously impossible. Why not grow it in a human?

Probably not, although pig's organs function incredibly well in humans. Even w/ some contamination, they'd be an improvement over existing pig hearts.

As for why not grow them in humans, simply because it's considered cruel to needlessly cut open humans.

[Rei Murasame]

I should have been more specific, but I feel like if they're going to grow it inside a pig's womb in Japan, they could just grow it inside an artificial human womb, the one that the same Japan is supposedly working on for the last umpteen amount of years.

Human backup organs, made from that particular person's stem cells, growing in a plastic box in a lab somewhere, managed by the health ministry. That's what I am hoping to see one day.

[Figlio di Moros]

That's less efficient, Rei- a single pig could grow organs for several patients, whereas a box would possibly grow one and require being constantly viewed. Plus, it permits us the opportunity to enter longshank back on the menu.

[Rainbow Crow]

Maybe if we ate them too it might work...

[Igor Antunov]

Yeah, growing organs one at a time in pigs, that could never be inefficient.

They could grow multiple organs inside each pig womb. As Rei suggests, Japan is also pioneering artificial wombs. The next step will be to have womb factories producing organs for individuals. It is not efficient to have to cut open a pig which you also have to feed considerably every time you need a few organs grown and harvested. All nutrients should be going into organ development.

[Figlio di Moros]

Partly true, Igor- the pig would still be perfectly edible, as well as any unused organs. I fully support chimera pork w/ longshank organs- we could eat what we cannot use for surgery.

[Igor Antunov]

Scientists in Japan have cloned a mouse from a single drop of blood.

Circulating blood cells collected from the tail of a donor mouse were used to produce the clone, a team at the Riken BioResource Center reports in the journal Biology of Reproduction.

The female mouse lived a normal lifespan and could give birth to young, say the researchers.

Scientists at a linked institute recently created nearly 600 exact genetic copies of one mouse.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23068423

Healthy mammal from a single drop of blood.

[mikema63]

Don't forget there is work being done to create the collagen backbone of human organs with a 3D printer. you just paint that with some stem cells derived from your patients skin, bake on 96 degrees, and voila a heart.