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Gene Therapy Creates Strong Super-Rats

Posted by timothy on from the pizza-with-nietzsche-cheese-please dept.

srstoneb writes "The AP is reporting about a gene therapy study in which muscle tissue in rats is modified to grow at an accelerated rate. The researchers are mainly interested in combating muscular dystrophy, but obviously there are other potential applications, both good and bad, for a treatment which makes you stronger. Athletic ethics are addressed in the article (it's in the sports section, after all), and rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe regular Tom Galloway -- who posted the link there, where I saw it -- made a comparison to the 'super-soldier serum' that created Captain America. Based on the article, a vaguely Wolverine-like healing factor is another benefit as the therapy allows faster recovery from injury. We already had a non-powered superhero reported last year. Who knows what the future may hold? ^_^" (And that's not the only natural-born superhero.)

5 of 414 comments (clear)

  1. I don't se the "bad" in this! by ISayWeOnlyToBePolite · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Google is cheating too.

  2. Mandatory by onosendai · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I, for one, Welcome Our New ... *sigh* that used to be funny too ...

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  3. One "redundant" down-mod already by alien_blueprint · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I was wondering how many moderators wouldn't actually read the post properly. That's one "redundant" mod now, and counting.

  4. Re:Comedy Rats aside . . . by Tetsugaku-San · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Don't they still call people like you Nazis? I haven't had children yet, but unsurprisingly everyone in my family before me who had muscular dystrophy did. They had kids, just like I intend to because I want to - procreation is a rather fundamental human instinct. I am hoping that by the time I have kids there will be a way of fixing the problems in my genetic code, until then I feel that I have more to offer as a parent than most, so I will still have children. Rading about medical developments like this give me hope that my children, if affected with muscular dystrophy (You can just carry the genes recesivly like I do with no ill affect) will be able to lead full happy and fruitfull lives.

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  5. wtf? by chendo · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Parent is modded INFORMATIVE?!

    What is slashdot coming to?

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