
A researcher’s new take on stem cells - dnetesn
http://nautil.us/issue/57/communities/does-aging-have-a-reset-button
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wpasc
"Do the ethics of age reversal concern you?"

I dislike how that question is phrased, implying that the ethics of fighting
aging are inherently concerning. If you really think through the ethical
considerations of aging being a universal cause of death and the major
contributing factor to cancer, alzheimers, and any other age related disease,
the only "ethical" thing to do is fight against aging.

People never discuss the ethics of curing cancer because we have a clear moral
imperative to do so, but the second the question turns to aging the waters are
muddied. Questions about overpopulation, wealth concentration, etc. may arise,
but are all thoroughly rebutted. Aubrey De Grey's original Ted talk does a
great job of arguing against these concerns.

Maybe I am wrong. However, I think that ethical concerns over the fight
against aging are not rigorously thought through. It's as if we constantly ask
the question, "should we fight aging?" but when the answer is thoroughly
answered "Yes" society (and very much so the media) don't remember the answer
and its reasoning.

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ASalazarMX
"A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and
making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die,
and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it." \- Max Planck

Imagine stubborn, immortal scientific/economic/government/etc. leaders.

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reasonattlm
If you are interested in perusing some of the past decade of science on this
topic, some links below. It is about equally devoted to looking at what
happens in induced pluripotency versus what happens during embryonic
development, induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells being
basically the same thing.

Elimination of damaged proteins during differentiation of embryonic stem cells
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472508/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472508/)

In Vivo Amelioration of Age-Associated Hallmarks by Partial Reprogramming
[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.052](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.052)

Mitochondrial Rejuvenation After Induced Pluripotency
[https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014095](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014095)

Aging vs. rejuvenation: reprogramming to iPSCs does not turn back the clock
for somatic mitochondrial DNA mutations
[http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/sci.2016.08.09](http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/sci.2016.08.09)

A lysosomal switch triggers proteostasis renewal in the immortal C. elegans
germ lineage
[https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24620](https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24620)

Any Rejuvenation Relevance for Roundworm Reproduction?
[http://www.sens.org/research/research-blog/question-
month-16...](http://www.sens.org/research/research-blog/question-month-16-any-
rejuvenation-relevance-roundworm-reproduction)

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sjcsjc
"Stem cells are the Gary Oldman of cell types."

Great analogy. I recall watching a film a few years ago with Gary Oldman in
it, and not realising until the credits that it was him. Can't remember which
one, unfortunately, probably because of my lack of stem cells.

EDIT: Might have been True Romance.

~~~
thedailymail
The weakness in this analogy is that the stem cell itself does not transform
into anything. What stem cells can do is, on division, 1) make a progeny cell
with a different cell fate (i.e., a different cell type) and 2) self-renew
(make another stem cell). Maybe you could say stem cells die in the process of
giving birth to fraternal twins, one of which is a clone of the parent.

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dsign
Our culture and our biology have serious compatibility issues, and getting
worse by the day. I hope we can find our way out.

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vistawaplord
Life would've been great if that is possible

