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Researchers Create "Mighty Mouse" With Gene Tweak

Posted by samzenpus on from the we're-gonna-need-a-bigger-trap dept.

cylonlover writes "He can't fly just yet, but a team of scientists have made a big step towards creating a real-life Mighty Mouse. By tweaking a gene that normally inhibits muscle growth the researchers created a batch of super-strong mice and worms. The scientists acted on a genome regulator — known as NCOR1 — and were able to change the activity of certain genes. In simpler English, the scientists shut off the thyroid hormone that keeps most mammals from turning into the Incredible Hulk. The result was a strain of mice with muscles that were twice as strong as normal."

5 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Wait a minute. by Zironic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have this sneaking suspicion that if genome 'brakes' are present in most animals, they're probably there for a reason.

    I wonder what sort of long term side effects you'd be looking at with vastly increased muscle growth.

    1. Re:Wait a minute. by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You are working under the impression that evolution works optimally. It doesn't evolution usually reaches a good enough state. It may be the case the reason why mice are not stronger is that the ones who were stronger didn't have any better chances then the ones who weren't or their extra bulk end up either being unattractive to the opposite sex or they were too strong and created damage to their mate. Or just just because the extra strength didn't help much more overall so his genes kinda just got washed out over time.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Wait a minute. by Zironic · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The most intuitively obvious answer is that if your muscle growth can't be limited you're more likely to starve to death during famines.

      However I wouldn't be surprised if unchecked muscle growth also leads to bone/tendon damage/poor muscle control/heart issues etc.

    3. Re:Wait a minute. by shadowrat · · Score: 4, Informative

      according to the article, the mice with unchecked muscle growth also gained speed and endurance beyond a normal mouse. They even provide some video showing how well a supermouse can perform on a treadmill vs a normal mouse. They had cute little mouse treadmills.

      The article also notes that they have not yet identified any negative effect on the mice. In fact, they say the super mice are all around healthier.

      There may be some negative aspect (beyond needing more food), but TFA makes it sound like this process does indeed produce a superior quarterback. At least it does in mice.

  2. Re:Give to 1 area, ur taking from another by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 4, Funny

    You give these mice that growth of musculature, something's going to take a beating

    Yeah, any unaltered mice are going to take a beating for sure.