Some amazing technology

[Pete]

This IS some amazing science...

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.popsci.com/popsci/medicine/8b823b576ce1b010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
">http://www.popsci.com/popsci/m...00004eecbccdrcrd.html
</a>
I'd be willing to bet you'd be able to regrow damaged lung tissue too...and kidney

How does this fit into the "playing god" argument?

Pete

 

[Mockingbird]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>The protein-based drug molecules penetrate heart-muscle cells and suppress production of an enzyme called p38 that ordinarily limits tissue growth. With p38 turned off, mature heart-muscle cells de-differentiate, which allows them to multiply rapidly and mature into new heart muscle.</end quote></div>

Why would we have an enzyme that limits tissue growth? I'm guessing it must have some other purpose, so my question is what's going to be the side effects of shutting it off?

<b>Edit:</b>I found another article. <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.hhmi.org/news/keating8.html">http://www.hhmi.org/news/keating8.html</a>

 

[anonymous]

I'm not familiar with p38, but there are several enzymes that are responsible for preventing non-stop growth of cells, which essentially leads to cancers and tumors if not prevented. It's feasible p38's only function is to regulate growth.