The Future Is Here Today...Robots, Genetics, AI, Longevity, Singularity

Light Used to Remotely Control Mouse Cells Like Robots

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by Aaron Saenz on December 11th, 2009

Plants use light to tell them where to move and how to grow. What if animal cells could be directed in the same way? Now they can. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have modified mouse cells with plant proteins so that they will change shape and move in response to signals of light. As described in the recent publication in Nature, Scientists were able to get the mammalian cells to follow a weak red light and pull away from infrared light. Similar techniques can be used to control other cell functions besides shape and movement. One day, researchers hope, such modifications could be performed on human cells to help direct the repair of spinal injuries and allow cells to reconnect across gaps.

UCSF scientists placed plant proteins in this mouse cell so that it would respond to light by moving and changing shape.

UCSF scientists placed plant proteins in this mouse cell so that it would respond to light by moving and changing shape. The cell expanded to follow the movement of a red light (circle).

While similar work has been performed in yeast and bacteria, this experiment marks the first time that mammal cells have been upgraded in this fashion. I’m impressed by the way that researchers got cells to move like miniature remote control robots, but there are greater implications. By inserting key plant proteins (called phytochromes) into mammal cells, researchers have created a light-based switch that they can insert into many different chemical pathways. The UCSF team focused on the pathways which affect the cytoskeleton, but they could have targeted protein interactions that control how food is processed, or functions that impact cell life span. Imagine using specially tuned light signals to keep some cells (say those with cancer) from processing nutrients, or encourage other cells (say those in an area with nerve damage) to repair and reproduce themselves. With the protein-based light switch, scientists could change a cell’s chemical functions temporarily, and repeat the process as needed later. That’s an amazingly powerful tool.

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Disabling a Single Gene Extends Mice Life by 20%

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by Aaron Saenz on October 7th, 2009
Calorie restriction helps mice live longer. Now, scientists ca rewrite their genes to accomplish the same thing.

Scientists have disabled a single gene to mimic the benefits of Caloric Restriction in mice.

We’ve known for a while that severely limiting your dietary intake, while somehow still managing to get all your necessary nutrients, can extend lifespan dramatically. Caloric Restriction (CR) can increase a mouse’s lifespan by about 50%. Of course, no one wants to eat less so scientists have been pursuing other avenues to achieve CR benefits. We’ve told you about one such possible route: the use of resveratrol, which may (or may not) work. A recently published article in Science discusses another. Dominic Withers from the University College of London extended the lifespan of female mice by 20% using a technique to disable one of their genes. Not only did these mice live longer, they showed greatly improved health at middle age. Withers and his associates may have discovered a genetic fountain of youth.

Life extension has a lot of advocates, notably the Methuselah Foundation and Aubrey de Grey whom we discussed earlier. Most would agree that we need two types of approaches to achieving longevity: a technique that could be applied to people who are already old, and a technique that could be applied from birth or earlier. Withers’ genetic manipulation would be one of the latter. With a single genetic tweak, humans conceivably could be modified in vitro to live longer and healthier. Furthermore, that tweak could become germline (that is, passed on to offspring) so that all future generations of humans had the same longevity. Withers’ work could be the start of a new era of humanity.
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Gene Therapy Cures Color Blindness in Monkeys

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by Aaron Saenz on September 18th, 2009
Thanks to gene therapy, this monkey can distinguish shades of red and green.

Thanks to gene therapy, this monkey can distinguish shades of red and green.

If nature gave you some bum genes, you’ve got a chance of fixing them. Genetic treatments have allowed researchers to cure color blindness in two squirrel monkeys. As published this month in Nature, gene therapy allowed two males to begin producing the L-opsin protein that allowed them to finally see reds and greens. Besides viewing the world in color, what’s the benefit of genetic treatments? Endless supplies of grape juice. Check out the short video below of one of the monkeys getting a reward for identifying red spots during a test.

When any form of blindness has a genetic cause, the promise of restored sight through genetic treatment lingers. We saw the first such case of gene therapy restoring sight when it was used to cure Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA) in human children. Those tests were revolutionary, but monkey technicolor vision is remarkable as well. Most scientists believed that adult brains do not have the same rewiring capabilities and plasticity as young brains. Yet the two adult monkeys, Sam and Dalton, started receiving and comprehending new signals once the L-opsin gene was introduced into their retinas.

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