Even during the holidays, I keep looking over all the latest research and news on regenerative medicine, including recently related to a firm called Unlimited Bio. The umbrella term “regenerative medicine” includes gene therapies and gene editing.
The field is seeing non-traditional trials of regenerative medicine-related technologies including genetic approaches for enhancement. Sometimes the same approaches are touted for longevity.
Gene therapy for human enhancement
With that in mind, let’s start here: This company is developing gene therapies for muscle growth, erectile dysfunction, and “radical longevity”, MIT Tech Review.
The stuff discussed here mostly appears to be enhancement rather than actual therapies.
From the piece, “A small group of volunteers will receive multiple injections of the experimental treatments next month, says Unlimited Bio.” This is being done outside the U.S. Holly Fernandez Lynch is quoted as understandably skeptical about this work. Doing a non-traditional trial like this on healthy people amplifies risks.
In the bigger picture, what do you think, do somatic rather than heritable enhancements register as potentially eugenic in nature or not?
Unlimited Bio
Unlimited Bio is focused on rejuvenation through gene therapies. Its website mentions various “therapies” (note, these are all unproven) including via VEGF, Klotho, hTERT, Follistatin, and many more of the usual molecules. There are big risks here. For example, the most popular molecules can easily bump up cancer risk. On top of risks, the trial participants reportedly will have to pay to participate.
Under “Follistatin”, the Unlimited Bio website says “Muscle Gains Without Gym.” Sound too good to be true to you too? Speaking of follistatin, you might also find this past article Monkeying around with myostatin to be of interest here.
From MIT Tech the CEO Ivan Morgunov says the firm’s goal is “radical life extension.”
Unlimited Bio reminds me of Liz Parrish’s BioViva. We’re likely to see more such firms.
More on stem cells, cancer, etc.
- The Pluribus Season 1 Finale Proves One Fan Theory Horrifyingly Correct, Yahoo. Anyone watch this show? I’m wondering if it’s worth watching. There’s apparently a stem cell element to the plot.
- How Mammals Delay Pregnancy Offers Cancer Treatment Clue, Tech Networks.
- Human cortical organoids recapitulate inter-individual variability in infant brain-growth trajectories, Cell Stem Cell. Brain growth control is so interesting. It makes good sense that it can be studied with organoids. This is also an interest of my lab.