X-Message-Number: 2093 From: (Thomas Donaldson) Subject: CRYONICS.immortal.mice Date: Sat, 10 Apr 93 17:57:08 PDT Hi! This is a message that deserves notice by all cryonicists. I have already informed at least one person in the offices of Alcor in southern California. I will comment a bit about this matter after I first describe it. In the 1 April 1993 issue of NATURE, p. 411, there is an article entitled "Dorian Gray Mice". This article discusses the use of gene transfers to create a variety of mice not subject to old age. The authors, apparently to make sure that their animals would not live forever, designed this species so that they also contained a second special gene that caused the death of these animals. The general tone of the article, and the opinions expressed (quoted by some, and stated outright by the author, a Robin A. Weiss at the Institute of Cancer Research, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, is that this particular genetic modification should be strongly limited. The article gives a total of 13 references, none of which I have read; those which point out the possibility for great longevity in mice having only ONE of these transplanted genes apparently are in the genetics literature rather than the gerontology literature. I received this issue of NATURE just today (I subscribe). So far as I under- stand the other articles in this issue, there is no hint of April foolery. I personally would want to chase up the other articles listed before I made any final decisions. Clearly if this article is NOT just a joke, it deserves our intense attention. Best and long life, Thomas Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=2093