John Shirley
Need a new Liver or heart or kidney? Soon you’ll be able to PRINT ONE OUT!
A friend of mine recently died from kidney failure. The transplant of a new kidney, genetically appropriate for him, would have saved his life. But they’re hard to come by, and they’re rarely of a genetic typology that won’t be rejected by the body of the recipient. Can replacement organs come from a 3D printer? That’s the ultimate goal of the bioprinting program at the Wake Forest Institute’s School of Medicine. They’re one of many institutes investigating the possibility of printing tissues and organs. “Multilayered skin, bones, muscle structures, blood vessels, retinal tissue and even mini-organs all have been 3D printed. Researchers in Poland bioprinted a functional prototype of a pancreas in which stable blood flow was achieved in pigs during an observed two-week period, according to a 2022 abstract and Dr. Michal Wszola, creator of Bionic Pancreas.”
From Brock Hinzmann: If we can determine what modifications to humans would make make it easier to survive in space, or on another planet, or even just to survive global climate change, we could use genetic modification and 3D printing to make new biocompatible organs for such survival. What would that look like? Are there literal little green men, in the universe somewhere, because their skin is photosynthetic? If Vulcans were real, would they have their green blood because its differences allow them to breath in alternative gaseous atmospheres? The nanotech followers have long proposed bones made of diamond-like carbon would be stronger than HAP, but would 3D printing enable better bone designs for space than we have developed on Earth?
In order to print out replacement organs that will be a good genetic fit, we need a broad supply of genetic information to work from. Where do we get it? How about the Pangenome?
When science deciphered the human genome a couple decades ago, suddenly the causes of many mysterious diseases came clear. But we couldn’t see them clearly enough yet—and hence treatments were often out of reach. In May the NIH funded Human Pangenome Reference Consortium announced in the journal nature they’d developed a reference “pangenome” that represents more human genetic diversity. Genes from people of more diverse racial backgrounds were analyzed, the researchers aligned the corresponding sequences within the various genomes. As Mark Johnson for the Washington Post put it, “While the human genome is like a single road, the pangenome resembles a subway map, converging in parts of the sequence that are common to most people and branching out in areas where we differ.”
The pangenome has brought clarity about the pathway of pathology behind cystic fibrosis, leading to new treatments that will save lives. And suddenly scientists are seeing the fundamentals of the genetics of autism. More specific forms of autism now have genetic specificity, making it possible to find pathways to treatments. A youngster who had not only autism but heart and lung disorders was diagnosed with such exactitude doctors found that the core of his problem was an absence of the amino acid creatine; simple supplements of creatine have changed his life, restoring his heart and lungs to comparative normalcy and his improving his behavior so that he can once more mingle with other kids.
Clearly pangenomic mapping would have crucial application to our ability to great workable bioprinted organs for implant.
As vulnerability and predilection to cancer is largely sourced in the genes, the pangenome’s new revelations will lead to deeper, clearer blueprints of the causes of cancers, suggesting new treatments and possible cures. And a new pangenomic analysis is coming, with even broader representation across the spectrum of humanity. In just two years, we’ll have another exponential leap in the possibilities of cures for genetic diseases.
A new, “all weather” general use covid vaccine is coming. A first version is being tested; longterm, we’re vastly increasing the chances of developing a lasting vaccine applicable to all forms of covid-19 and its mutations.
“Rutgers researchers developed MT-001 using technological approaches informed by an ambitious National Institutes of Health project that aimed to create an antibody for every protein in the human body. “We need a better vaccine, one that provides years of robust protection with fewer booster shots against a variety of SARS-CoV-2 strains. Our data suggest this vaccine candidate might be able to do that,” said Stephen Anderson, associate professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in SAS, resident member of the Rutgers Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and senior author of the paper in Vaccines.
More new cures and treatments to come shortly!
