X-Message-Number: 3454 Date: Sat, 10 Dec 1994 14:59:23 -0500 (EST) From: Subject: SCI.CRYONICS New data on Genes and Frozen Animals Date sent: 10-DEC-1994 14:43:36 > > Revised. SEE NEW INFORMATION AT THE END OF THIS MESSAGE. > > Again the important issue to study animals that can survive frozen >conditions is addressed. This time the practical application of such study >cannot be denied. This technique is already used in medicine. I like to >point out that one need not be young to have seed cells for storage. studies >with animals cells have shown that any somatic cell's chromosomes can be >divided and be used for fertilization. Age of the donor does not effect the >integrity of the embryo and fetus. Apparently damage (if any) to the DNA is >repaired after the somatic cell "divides". It is an ethical issue. Should, >say a 90 year old, person pay someone to develop a fetus from his cells for >the sole purpose of obtaining seed cells for rejuvenation or seed cells >that had DNA transferred from animals that can survive the frozen state in >order to make it possible for a human to produce chemicals to survive this >state. The argument that these animals are not frozen to a low enough >temperature to survive entropy for 200 or more years neither holds because >these animals are able to repair damage that occur at that temperature. >Hence no need for LN temperatures and the problems associated with it. ONE CAN INFER FROM THE METABOLIC RATE OF FROZEN FROGS THAT THESE ANIMALS CAN LAST LONGER THAN TWO HUNDRED YEARS IN A FROZEN STATE. The following abstract has been published in the November issue of The Scientist. Another potentially significant area of research that may expand with federal support is in the development of techniques for culturing pluripotential human embryonic stem cells, according to Hogan. The creation of so-called immortal lines of undifferentiated cells might lead to crucial advances in cell-transplantation therapies. "A really important [advance] over the last 10 years in mouse embryo research is the development of these immortal, continuously proliferating embryonic stem cells from blastocyst-stage em-bryos," Hogan says. "You can culture them, and, as long as you continue growing them under ideal conditions and subculture them routinely, they will remain undifferentiated. But then you can stimulate them with various treatments to differentiate into various cells types. You can get muscle and nerve and bone and cartilage and so forth. So, the idea would be that maybe, down the line, you could use these for making blood cells for transplantation, and maybe some kinds of neuronal stem cells or muscle stem cells." Thus it seems a fetus would not even be necessary !! Jan (John) Coetzee Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=3454