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Super Strength Substance Approaching Human Trials

kkleiner writes "You may remember Liam Hoekstra, the baby apparently born without the myostatin gene, and consequently sporting 40% more skeletal muscle than his peers. Using gene therapy, NCH scientists have been able to get follistatin (a myostatin blocker) to promote phenomenal muscle growth in macaque monkeys. NCH is now working with the FDA to perform the preliminary steps necessary for a human clinical trial. Is this the prelude to a super-strength gene therapy for all of us?"

20 of 425 comments (clear)

  1. Classic Super Villain Birth by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is this the prelude to a super-strength gene therapy for all of us?

    No, the clinical trials will begin but one of the test subjects will realize that they are now stronger than his fellow man and the only thing keeping him a cut above the rest is the drug. So he (or she, both sexes are equally evil) will taint the other subjects' follistatin with cyanide, killing them all. Then the super villain transformation into The Sinister Strength will be complete and they will emerge from the carnage at the clinic to hoard all the remaining follistatin. We have only one hope, that our hero Liam Hoekstra arrives on the scene early enough to put an end to The Sinister Strength ... refresh Slashdot next week to find out.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Classic Super Villain Birth by HBoar · · Score: 5, Funny

      Unless, of course, we manage to capture the super humans in time and send them all into space in suspended animation on a cargo ship.

    2. Re:Classic Super Villain Birth by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 5, Funny

      trying to muscle in with a star trek reference, eh?

      I don't think you khannnnnnnnnnnn!

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    3. Re:Classic Super Villain Birth by Ryvar · · Score: 5, Funny

      If I refresh Slashdot next week the only thing I'm going to see is a dupe of this story.

    4. Re:Classic Super Villain Birth by Khan · · Score: 4, Funny

      Did someone call me? ;-)

      --

      "Klaatu, verada, necktie!" -Ash

  2. No by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, not all of us.

    Just soldiers and government agents.

  3. Fun at the Olympics in 20 years. by sparkeyjames · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you thought the German swimmers looked like men during the 80's and 90's just wait till this kicks for human use.

     

  4. Re:Obvious (?) question by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 5, Funny

    We would need to eat a lot more than the normal human needs to.

    The diet of the average American should just about cover it.

  5. Darn by spyder-implee · · Score: 4, Funny

    For some reason I was really hoping to see some pictures of buff Monkeys.

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    Take what ye can. Give nothing back!
  6. Re:Obvious (?) question by Locke2005 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pretty soon, you won't get laid without it. I think I speak for many slashdotters when I ask, "how is that any different from my current situation?"

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    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  7. Re:Obvious (?) question by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 4, Funny

    And what would we do with this super strength?

    The same thing we do every night Pinky; try to take over the World!

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    May the Maths Be with you!
  8. I was more thinking by Cryacin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hoekstra SMASH!!!!

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    Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
  9. I always wondered... by Brad1138 · · Score: 3, Funny

    How the apes got the upper hand.

    --
    If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
  10. Re:Super Soldiers? by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Since the US adopted a policy of only fighting wars against tiny Orientals or half-starved Arabs, they're already 40% stronger than the opposition.

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    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  11. Re:Obvious (?) question by Missing_dc · · Score: 3, Funny

    And if this promotes muscle growth where it is used most, most of us Slashdotters will end up with just one Superhuman Arm.

    "Hello, I am the Mega-Baiter!!"

    Disclaimer: I am married, so my arms would remain the same, but my wife would (through associated absorption) develop some massive jaw and tongue muscles......

    I love her....

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    How amazed would you be to suddenly find that you just forgot what I wrote and you needed to reread my post.... again.
  12. Re:Super Soldiers? by Xyrus · · Score: 4, Funny

    But now we can have soldiers that go to eleven!

    ~X~

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    ~X~
  13. Re:Super Soldiers? by Zordak · · Score: 4, Funny

    The military has been working on what I'd call troop supplement vehicles. Basically, they are small cart vehicles able to carry a couple thousand pounds. They can follow a soldier around, or manually controlled to perform delivery tasks during a fire fight. Beats a 40% increase in strength by far.

    They'll need those to carry all the food the new super soldiers will have to eat.

    --

    Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the number e.
  14. Re:Obvious (?) question by sexybomber · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bingo, this exactly. If this drug hit the mainstream, we'd end up with a couple billion ripped, status-obsessed douchebags. Some would begin spiking their hair and frosting the tips. It'd be like Jersey guidos, but worldwide. (In other words, it would be Hell on Earth.)

    End result: Women stop liking big muscles. Slashdotters become the most desirable men on the planet. Cowboy Neal ends up on the cover of "Playgirl". Geeks begin outbreeding other social groups. They ultimately inherit the Earth.

    I, for one, welcome the very brief reign of our muscly overlords.

  15. Re:Obvious (?) question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yours never shuts up either, eh?

  16. Re:Fastest way to burn calories is to gain musclem by chainsaw1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The article also stated that Liam had to have a lot of protien, which makes sense if you are building excess muscle mass. Unfortunately your dream of converting Big Macs to bulging biceps is only 1/2 complete unless you can get extra beef rather than special sauce as part of your calorie intake. Empty calories alone probably aren't going to work.

    Now then, your Whopper with a Protein Shake rather than that chocolate shake may do the trick.
    Beefcake. BeefCake! BEEEEEEF CAKE!

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    - Sig