Mystery of aging

Emily Anthes discuses in Frankenstein’s Cat, when scientist first learned how to edit the genome of animals they began to imagine all the ways they could use this power. Many scientist-envisioned the application of genetically engineered animals that would save humans lives. She welcomes us to this world of “pharming” in which simple genetic tweaks turn animals into living pharmaceutical factories (Anthes pg 40). Scientist had the idea that if they put a gene for a human antibody or enzymes in to an animal in the right place, under the control of the right molecular switch maybe it would be possible to engineer animals that produced healing human proteins in their milk.

Evidence now suggests that infants who breast-fed have healthier digestive systems. Lysozymes are the primary enzyme found within breast milk of all mammals, which is necessary for proper infant development. In order for the children that do not nurse or are to old for breast milk to receive a sufficient amount of the enzymes found in breast milk, scientists Murrary and Maga generated a whole line of transgenic goats by injecting the human lysozyme gene into fertilized goat eggs and implanting the resulting embryos in surrogate mothers. This will help extend the protective effects of breast milk to infants, which is vital to proper development. Murray and Maga have carefully analyzed the milk from the goat and are confident that the modified milk will do human body good(Athens).

Kiel University together with the University Medical Center Schleswing-Holstein carried out a study on solving the mystery on aging in humans. Researchers examined why the polyp Hydra is immortal and unexpectedly discovered a link to aging humans. As Anthes talks about in Frankenstein’s cat, the pharming industry is growing and biotech companies around the world are hard at research to discover the next medical breakthrough in genetic modification of animals. As scientists discover more about aging’s relation to genetics, more questions arise on the possibility of manipulating genes to slow aging or even prevent it.   

Hydra are tiny freshwaters polyps, they are potentially referred to as immortal as they do not show any signs of aging. Hydras have been the subject involved in many studies regarding aging processes because of their extensive stem cell reproduction process. As Anthes talked out in her book many scientist-envisioned applications that genetically engineered animals that would save humans lives by studying animal tissue such as that of the Hydra. This may deliver valuable insight into stem cell aging within humans. As people get older physiological change starts to occur, decreasing muscle, and causing one to feel weaker due to the heart muscle becoming weaker. As aging occurs people are unable to generate new cells because their stem cells lose the ability to flourish and then aging tissue cannot regenerate anymore. If scientists were able to discover a way to prevent stem cell depletion humans could turn back the clock of the decomposition of their muscles, therefore extending their health and possibly life.

It was recently discovered why human stem cells start to degenerate as humans age, the biochemical mechanism to this genetic phenomenon as is realated to FoxO, a gene that has been indicated to play a role in aging in humans. In order to determine what it was in the Hydra that made it immortal, scientist isolated Hydra’s stem cells and screened all their genes. FoxO was indicated as the gene that keeps Hydras immortal. After the discovery of FoxO gene and its relation to aging and immortally in hydra a scientific study was conducted in which the FoxO gene from the Hydra was injected into animals genetically modifying them to demonstrate the effect of the gene on stem cells thus determining the life span of animals.

Observing this effect of gene in animal can help scientist develop a better understanding of the roles this gene has on the maintenance of stem cells and functioning of immune system which can be beneficial towards humans one day. As Anthes describes in her book “the implications of such bioengineering projects are complicated and still unfolding. On the one hand, research being done with bioengineering could potentially help cure cancer or give blind people the gift of sight”(Athens 92). Such research and discoveries could give us an insight into more genetic modifications throughout pharming and give us the potential to possibly be immortal.

Anthes, Emily. Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave

      New Beasts. New York: Scientific American / Farrar, Straus, and

      Giroux, 2013. Print. 

Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel (2012, November 13). Solving the

mystery of aging: Longevity gene makes Hydra immortal and humans grow older. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 11, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2012/11/121113091953.htm