I get my news from NPR. Yep, National Public Radio. I know that they aren’t always the most un-biased news source, but they do try. Lately I have been really enjoying some of the stories they have been producing. They go out of their way to do stories on things that actually matter to people. I don’t mean stories like who is fucking who or what celebrity is pregnant. Those stories don’t actually mean anything to people aside from a diversion from their own boring lives.

This morning there was a truly fascinating story on muscle growth. Tests are being done that inhibits a protein in the muscle that limits muscle growth. This research is currently being done in mice and it has been shown that the mouse that have this mutation turned on (so that protein isn’t there), have up to 4 times more muscle mass than their normal cousins.

So, what does this mean to people?

Think of those horrible muscular degenerative diseases. It has been shown that this protein also limits human muscle growth. People who do not produce it have more muscle growth than those who do. Research is being done to produce a drug that would inhibit this protein from being produced in the muscle to help aid those who have muscle deterioration. Muscular dystrophy, cancer and AIDS patients would all benefit from this research. It is cool.

Now, here is the kicker, they discovered the result of this protein by genetically modifying mice. Yep, they messed about with their genome and genes and all that good stuff to see what this would do. This will probably make some people swoon with rage the way they swoon against the genetically engineered foods. You know what? Fuck that. Genetic engineering is one way people learn and improve upon things. Without genetic engineering, this protein would not have been discovered.

I’m sure PETA must be up in arms over testing like this because we all know laboratory mice live long and rich lives. I’m bothered by people who want to stop genetic engineering because discoveries like this would be lost. Imagine what we could miss out in if something like this was banned. It’s not pretty really. We are in an Age of Discovery and Science. We are beginning to build cures not from the idea of treating symptoms, but rather prevention and treating disease from the base cause. I suppose since this isn’t a cure (thus far) for erectile dysfunction or baldness, people don’t see the need for it.

Posted by Utopia at November 13, 2006 04:24 PM

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Posted by: Binary Blonde at November 17, 2006 07:39 PM

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