The Political Hat

     Some people are concerned about the ethical implications of biotechnology and bioengineering:

“Some biotechnologists are intent on pursuing radical biotechnologies — whether to eliminate disease, or as I expect to become the bigger, more remunerative draw, to create designer babies enhanced to be smarter, more beautiful, or otherwise made to order — regardless of the ethical questions.

“…

“Biotechnology companies and researchers are playing a game of ‘hide the ball’ here. They agree to ban or voluntarily refrain from doing that which can’t yet be done but conduct the very experiments necessary to learn how to do it.”

     And one such potential avenue involves CRISPR technology.

“CRISPR, like most biotechnologies, is a double-edged sword. It can be used therapeutically to treat disease-causing genes, or it can be deployed eugenically to ‘enhance’ babies subjectively — to manipulate them as mere products — designed (theoretically) to order. In other words, a new regime of eugenics, but this time with near limitless capabilities.

“…

“This is the road to biotechnological anarchy.”

     Such open ended experimentation need not result horrible results in society, but can, and ought, to be used for ethical purposes, and what is more ethical than genetically engineering catgirls suitable for domestic adoption… even if they are Ⓐ punk rockers!

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     The ability to regrow limbs like many non-mammalian species, from worms to lizards, has been a holy grail of regenerative medicine. Now, scientists at Texas A&M have created a specially-engineered serum which shifts “the cells away from scarring, and then … provide[s] the signals that tell them what to build.” From the abstract:

“Epimorphic regeneration in mice is stimulated at a non-regenerative digit amputation by sequential treatment with FGF2 and BMP2 (FGF2→BMP2). FGF2 stimulates digit amputation wound cells to form a blastema and BMP2 induces blastema differentiation to regenerate the amputated distal phalangeal element, albeit imperfectly. The formation of a phalangeal growth plate suggests that the induced regenerate recapitulates embryonic development and cell lineage studies show that wound cells that enter the blastema cells are positionally re-specified during regeneration. FGF2→BMP2 treatment also stimulates a blastema-independent response that regenerates a synovial joint complex containing stump-derived tendon, ligament and a sesamoid-like bone. Together the blastema-dependent and blastema-independent responses can result in the regeneration of all skeletal structures removed by amputation. The induced regeneration response demonstrates the availability of regeneration competent cells at a non-regenerating wound, and that FGF and BMP signaling is sufficient to trigger a regenerative outcome at wounds that heal by fibrosis.”

     Of course, this is bigger than just allowing humans patients to regrow lost limbs. Add in some genetic coding and this could be used to grow neko mimi (i.e. cat ears) and associated neko tail!

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