Doctors grow new jaw in man's back

[Larry_Oldtimer]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/08/27/jaw.transplant.ap/

LONDON, England (AP) -- A German who had his lower jaw cut out because of cancer has enjoyed his first meal in nine years -- a bratwurst sandwich -- after surgeons grew a new jaw bone in his back muscle and transplanted it to his mouth in what experts call an "ambitious'' experiment.


Now this is really great. So when do we get to grow new teeth?

[Larry_Oldtimer]

If history is any guide, once something is discovered to actually work, the technology expands at a rapid rate. As for the conginital thingy, I do believe that scientists are also working hard on the concept of gene therapy, and wouldn't be at all surprised to see that also become a reality soon. Will people of the near future live until they get killed in an accident? Could be.

[Larry_Oldtimer]

I hear that the gene for the migraine headache will one day be located. I suppose that once DNA and genes are completely understood, they could be used to both heal the living and modify the yet unborn.

I don't think we can expect any kind of perfect society with no disease (there's a book about it ... famous but can remember the author), high intelligence but no reproduction because of modification effects on offspring ... maybe it was Star Trek ... but the gene therapy. Let me use a metaphor. Suppose I am using a computer software program, e.g.: animation, and I modify the settings such that the default settings are no longer in place and I can't find them again without resetting the values. The same thing could happen with genetic selection, i.e.: once the genes are altered we might loose the default genetic structure and make-up; which is currently pretty good (except for the implant crowd - and no loss there). Like, why mess with it if it's not really broken. Soi-biology has a place. Pretty soon we'll be looking to pigs to find out what our genetic makeup is supposed to look like. Read that book too.


You are only right up to a point. But if the computer software program has bugs in it, editing (changing) the code to remove the bugs makes the program work better. The more bugs removed, the better it works for its intended purpose. For sure, random changes will soon make it unusable. And genetic defects are nothing more than bugs in the DNA. Unfortunately, it will take a good bit of trial and error before scientists can feel confident that they are really removing the bugs and not just making random changes in
DNA. As far as things like hair color, eye color, height, mass and the like, I would put these in the catagory of cosmetic changes (sort of like the color of a line or area in a computer program) and who really cares? I surely don't care if people also desire this and have it done.

[stacyadams]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/08/27/jaw.transplant.ap/
surgeons grew a new jaw bone in his back muscle and transplanted it to his mouth

This breakthrough gives new meaning to the phrase, “Talking Back.”

(Ugh. Me tired. Me go to bed now.)

[Raider]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/08/27/jaw.transplant.ap/

LONDON, England (AP) -- A German who had his lower jaw cut out because of cancer has enjoyed his first meal in nine years -- a bratwurst sandwich -- after surgeons grew a new jaw bone in his back muscle and transplanted it to his mouth in what experts call an "ambitious'' experiment.


Now this is really great. So when do we get to grow new teeth?
Sounds like he's a happy camper now.