Harvard University uncovers DNA switch that controls genes for whole-body regeneration

Here's more from the article:

Humans may one day have the ability to regrow limbs after scientists at Harvard University uncovered the DNA switch that controls genes for whole-body regeneration.

Some animals can achieve extraordinary feats of repair, such as salamanders which grow back legs, or geckos which can shed their tails to escape predators and then form new ones in just two months.

Planarian worms, jellyfish, and sea anemones go even further, actually regenerating their entire bodies after being cut in half.

Now scientists have discovered that that in worms, a section of non-coding or ‘junk’ DNA controls the activation of a ‘master control gene’ called early growth response (EGR) which acts like a power switch, turning regeneration on or off.

“We were able to decrease the activity of this gene and we found that if you don't have EGR, nothing happens," said Dr Mansi Srivastava, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.

sg.news.yahoo.com...

Another example of Junk turning into gold.

This could really be great for humanity and lead to much longer and better lives. Here's more:

“The animals just can't regenerate. All those downstream genes won't turn on, so the other switches don't work, and the whole house goes dark, basically.”

The studies were done in three-banded panther worms. Scientists found that during regeneration the tightly-packed DNA in their cells, starts to unfold, allowing new areas to activate.

But crucially humans also carry EGR, and produce it when cells are stressed and in need of repair, yet it does not seem to trigger large scale regeneration.

Scientists now think that it master gene is wired differently in humans to animals and are now trying to find a way to tweak its circuitry to reap its regenerative benefits.

All of these things prove the point that we're truly at a moment of CONVERGENCE. This just isn't a moment where technology will accelerate change, it's also a moment where we might just kill ourselves before this acceleration can happen.

With the rise of white nationalism and climate change fanaticism, this is an open question.

These discoveries can expand lives and humans could live for 300-300 years of age. I know some people say that I wouldn't live this long but that's looking at things through a limited lens. Maybe humans need to live longer as we begin to colonize space.

Sadly, I doubt many people will see any of this because of climate change fanaticism. There's a difference between saying you want to do something about the climate and you want the Government to control every aspect of human behavior in order for corrupt Politicians to stop the apocalypse.

I think science and technology will solve many of these problems but of course human need to control other humans might stand in the way.

This is also a win for Intelligent Design who for years said Junk wasn't Junk but should be very important.

Post doctoral student Andrew Gehrke of Harvard believes the answer lies in the area of non-coding DNA controlling the gene. Non-coding or junk DNA was once believed to do nothing, but in recent years scientists have realised is having a major impact.

“Only about two percent of the genome makes things like proteins," added Mr Gehrke said. “We wanted to know: What is the other 98 percent of the genome doing during whole-body regeneration?

“I think we've only just scratched the surface. We've looked at some of these switches, but there's a whole other aspect of how the genome is interacting on a larger scale, and all of that is important for turning genes on and off.”

These switches sound more like binary code rather than junk DNA.

a reply to: neoholographic

Hmm.

May one day...

Some animals... (totally unlike humans)

Andrew Gehrke of Harvard believes...

I think we've only just scratched the surface... (Pffft. Not even.)

Don't trust scientists promising a 300 year life span. Who wants to live that long? Do you?

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

You said:

Don't trust scientists promising a 300 year life span. Who wants to live that long? Do you?

This is just egocentric thinking. It doesn't matter if you want to live for 200-300 years or not. It's not about you. Maybe future generations will need longer lifespans to colonize space. So again, this has nothing to do with you. If you want to die and not live longer, maybe you can just ask for the needle and go to sleep.

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: neoholographic
Don't trust scientists promising a 300 year life span. Who wants to live that long? Do you?

In the middle ages, when a life span was 30-40 years, imagine someone saying, "Who wants to live 80 years, a 100? I get everything I need done in 40 years."

Life was simple then and 40 years was truly enough for a simple, average life.

Now, 80-90 years is not enough for everything this planet has to offer.

In a century or two, 300-400 years won't be enough, because there will be so much space to see and systems to visit and explore.

There will always be things to do and learn.

a reply to: neoholographic

Another example of Junk turning into gold. 

Been done before:

a reply to: neoholographic


Not binary. Think a bit.

AT, CG, GC, and TA.

Looks to me more than just "0" or "1". Were looking at a base-4 codon at the least (there are: strong, weak, keto, amino, etc. version of those listed, and then the inverse of those). Who's to say that they are not double or triple word lengths of that? Heck, the "junk DNA" was not junk (been saying that for years), it is that it was not active in cell development so it was politely ignored and misnamed. So what is that, 2^4 combinations already without leaving the gate!

Now, studying a worm, they found that the "junk DNA" under certain conditions unfold and is "read" creating the regeneration instruction. Remember, this is for a specific type of worm!

I am more intrigued with the DNA folding! How does it know where to fold? How does it know to unfold? How does it get a signal from, uh, me, down to the DNA-level that says, "We need a new liver! TEOTs destroying the one he's got..." LOL!

The study is interesting to note but me getting a new eye on demand from my own DNA will happen long after I am gone!



ETA: Source, phys.org, and on Pi Day! lol.
Study uncovers genetic switches that control process of whole-body regeneration.

a reply to: neoholographic




Some day soon, we'll lose our humanity.

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

but but...salamanders don't life to be 300 either. I was thinking more along the lines of..



Peace

Yeah, a nice curvy woman in some tight genes could get my whole body rejuvenated. I am not the kind of guy who uses a switch though, I don't care to inflict pain on anyone.

originally posted by: Duderino

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: neoholographic
Don't trust scientists promising a 300 year life span. Who wants to live that long? Do you?

In the middle ages, when a life span was 30-40 years, imagine someone saying, "Who wants to live 80 years, a 100? I get everything I need done in 40 years."

Life was simple then and 40 years was truly enough for a simple, average life.

Now, 80-90 years is not enough for everything this planet has to offer.

In a century or two, 300-400 years won't be enough, because there will be so much space to see and systems to visit and explore.

There will always be things to do and learn.

OTOH, people who live 80-100 years are not necessarily in the best health past around 60 or so. I suspect many of them are miserable for many years and just don't talk about it because nobody cares and being negative is strongly discouraged. Imagine how it would scare the hell out of young people if you had old people telling them life sucks after 50.

We force people to live past the age where they should probably kick the bucket. We have to believe they're having a good time or it seems like torture. Right?

originally posted by: neoholographic
a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

You said:

Don't trust scientists promising a 300 year life span. Who wants to live that long? Do you?

This is just egocentric thinking. It doesn't matter if you want to live for 200-300 years or not. It's not about you. Maybe future generations will need longer lifespans to colonize space. So again, this has nothing to do with you. If you want to die and not live longer, maybe you can just ask for the needle and go to sleep.

When you are young and dumb, it is more fun living than when you get old and wise and have broken parts of your body multiple times because you did stupid things when you were young. It gets way more boring when you get old because of all that you have already learned not to do in your life

originally posted by: Duderino

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: neoholographic
Don't trust scientists promising a 300 year life span. Who wants to live that long? Do you?

In the middle ages, when a life span was 30-40 years, imagine someone saying, "Who wants to live 80 years, a 100? I get everything I need done in 40 years."

Life was simple then and 40 years was truly enough for a simple, average life.

Now, 80-90 years is not enough for everything this planet has to offer.

In a century or two, 300-400 years won't be enough, because there will be so much space to see and systems to visit and explore.

There will always be things to do and learn.

Even in the "middle ages" there were two classes of people who often reached the age of 70 in contrast to the rest of the population. Clergy and royalty. Fact.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

People like to say everything looks like binary. Binary is the chicken of math, everything tastes like it.

Hello, I actually studied binary in school, across 4 or 5 classes. All mathematical systems can be broken down into binary no matter what base system they consist of. DeMorgan pretty much proved that all mathematical calculations are reproducible in strict binary, no matter how complex they are. George Boole even attempted logic that incorporated binary and added a third "fuzzy" logic feature. It can be argued as tertiary or binary+RNG. Honestly, even that, by mathematical law, can just be broken down into binary actions, as per DeMorgan.

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver

You will peacefully die of a stroke long before 300 years. Have no worries.

a reply to: neoholographic

Hmmm... flick the wrong switch here to enable unrestricted regeneration and what we end up with is a new type of cancer. Sometimes we get too smart for our own good.

Ironic....a Chineese guy figures out the human bionome and disappears....shortly thereafter someone at Harvard makes a massive breakthrough in his field.....great news so far.

originally posted by: Archivalist
a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

People like to say everything looks like binary. Binary is the chicken of math, everything tastes like it.

Hello, I actually studied binary in school, across 4 or 5 classes. All mathematical systems can be broken down into binary no matter what base system they consist of. DeMorgan pretty much proved that all mathematical calculations are reproducible in strict binary, no matter how complex they are. George Boole even attempted logic that incorporated binary and added a third "fuzzy" logic feature. It can be argued as tertiary or binary+RNG. Honestly, even that, by mathematical law, can just be broken down into binary actions, as per DeMorgan.

Boole was trying to counter the reality and need to recognise and incorporate the Chaos Theory.Binary can be equated to NATURAL.All numbers based representations are by proxy originating from a BINARY SOURCE.All math will lead to a binary source.Math is a numerical representation of our natural world nothing more than a language.Boole created a proxy BRIDGE between the artificial representations numbers represent and the natural source of those very same numbers.....he was trying to bring the numbers home so to speak.Wait till people learn about the telepathy and longevity and other genetic barriers we can now unlock now.

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver

originally posted by: Duderino

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: neoholographic
Don't trust scientists promising a 300 year life span. Who wants to live that long? Do you?

In the middle ages, when a life span was 30-40 years, imagine someone saying, "Who wants to live 80 years, a 100? I get everything I need done in 40 years."

Life was simple then and 40 years was truly enough for a simple, average life.

Now, 80-90 years is not enough for everything this planet has to offer.

In a century or two, 300-400 years won't be enough, because there will be so much space to see and systems to visit and explore.

There will always be things to do and learn.

Even in the "middle ages" there were two classes of people who often reached the age of 70 in contrast to the rest of the population. Clergy and royalty. Fact.

Mostly diet and hygiene related reasons these groups flourished....also medicinal herbs that are anti-parasitic....and anti-parasitic medicines like ALCOHOL.Same as today.

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
a reply to: neoholographic


Not binary. Think a bit.

AT, CG, GC, and TA.

Looks to me more than just "0" or "1". Were looking at a base-4 codon at the least (there are: strong, weak, keto, amino, etc. version of those listed, and then the inverse of those). Who's to say that they are not double or triple word lengths of that? Heck, the "junk DNA" was not junk (been saying that for years), it is that it was not active in cell development so it was politely ignored and misnamed. So what is that, 2^4 combinations already without leaving the gate!

Now, studying a worm, they found that the "junk DNA" under certain conditions unfold and is "read" creating the regeneration instruction. Remember, this is for a specific type of worm!

I am more intrigued with the DNA folding! How does it know where to fold? How does it know to unfold? How does it get a signal from, uh, me, down to the DNA-level that says, "We need a new liver! TEOTs destroying the one he's got..." LOL!

The study is interesting to note but me getting a new eye on demand from my own DNA will happen long after I am gone!

ETA: Source, phys.org, and on Pi Day! lol.
Study uncovers genetic switches that control process of whole-body regeneration.

Because of computing power the numerical representations we build of nature have become complicated enough to include our entire geonome.Because of the expeditious rates at which we are 2x and 3x and even 4x our computing power every 5 years....don't be so sure you wont see some of these things.

a reply to: neoholographic

A cosmic burst would kill you or if you live through it will change your DNA as well,stay tuned