Editorials by Bob

In yet another astonishing twist, we have this story (and those linked from it), recently brought to my attention by (you guessed it) another blogger.

This medical procedure, currently in trials with mice, enables a mammalian organism (that includes humans, in case you didn't know) to regenerate literally any part of the body, except the brain. Severed limbs and digits grow back, a damaged heart heals back, and even nerves regenerate -- apparently including the spinal cord. The scientists on the project think it may even prolong life, though it's too early in the project to tell.

I'm not sure how quick the regeneration is. The page for Dr. Ellen Heber-Katz, the scientist in charge of the project, states only that the wounds "heal very quickly" -- an interview in the Sunday Times quotes her as saying, "We have experimented with amputating or damaging several different organs, such as the heart, toes, tail and ears, and just watched them regrow." Neither is specific, however; it could be a matter of a few minutes or a few days.

Either way, it's impressive, and the potential is mind-boggling. Imagine if we could start making this part of a natural post-natal treatment: just inject our babies with this gene therapy, and childhood injuries would be a thing of the past (well, not the injuries themselves, but at least the usual results). Or perhaps, once applied to a person, the characteristic automatically passes on to the children.

Of course, there's this pair of statements from the Times article: "Humans can regenerate their liver provided at least a quarter remains intact, as well as their blood and outer skin, but no other organs regrow. This is probably because, although most mammalian cells start off with the potential to develop into any cell type, they soon become very specialised. This allows mammals to develop more complex brains and bodies but deprives them of the power of regeneration." So it's quite possible that, if given at the time of birth or passed on to one's children, it could cause mental retardation.

I could also see where the treatment might make the patient more susceptible to certain illnesses, such as cancer or immunodeficiency disorders.

But let's set those concerns aside for a moment -- assume that I'm wrong (and I probably am), or that they can be bypassed somehow (perhaps by waiting until later in life before applying). Imagine what life could be like 50 years from now.

I don't get the impression that the treatment could cause regeneration in pre-existing injuries; if I have an accident tomorrow and lose my leg, the application here wouldn't help me, at least in the far future. If I were to lose the leg and the treatment given the same day, though, the leg might grow back.

Then again, what could be the social implication of that? Greater public risk-taking? Will we take on a public mentality of, "It's okay if I lose an arm, it'll just grown back anyway"? How many of us will also forget that we could also lose a head -- and that the brain won't regenerate?

If lost parts grow back overnight, will movie and TV stunt performers become more daring than ever? Will we start seeing horror movies becoming grotesquely real because the actors really are being hacked to pieces, on the basis that their body parts will regenerate? What could this do to productions of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and similar shows?

Now, don't get me wrong -- I don't think this is a bad idea. Quite the contrary; I think it could save a lot of lives, and help keep a lot of lives from being seriously marred.

This would be the perfect sort of thing to give to our police, firefighters, military personnel, and others who are on the front lines in keeping our homes and lives safe at great personal risk. If this turns out to be a high-risk treatment, or something only select people can get, I'd give them the first opportunity (as an individual choice).

This is yet another development for our personal lives whose consequences, I think, we should start thinking about now. If we wait until the time comes, we may have a lot of damage done to our society before we have it sorted out.