This scientist re-wires frogs to grow extra limbs. Could it work in humans?

[BADecker]

This scientist re-wires frogs to grow extra limbs. Could it work in humans?

One morning in spring 2000, Michael Levin flopped in his chair and clicked on his desktop computer. A newly minted assistant professor at Harvard, Levin, then 30, was looking to solve a riddle that had baffled science for centuries: How do our dividing embryonic cells know on which side of our bodies to grow our hearts, our livers, our gall bladders? Countless people throughout history have been born with some, even all, of their organs transposed, and yet functioning. Levin suspected DNA alone was not to blame; there had to be some other trigger. Days earlier, he had ordered an imaging test on a half dozen chick embryos at the verge of organized development. As he pulled up the results, he stared, amazed. Electrical charges, rendered in yellows and reds, lay across the cells in patches, left to right, as clearly as a neon "This Way" arrow. Levin sat back and blinked. He was witnessing, for the first time in history, embryo cells telling each other left from right via electricity.

Read more at http://www.popsci.com/body-electrician-whos-rewiring-bodies.

[crwth]

Humans and frogs are different creatures; that won't work efficiently. If you want to create monsters, that's a way I guess. Lol

[digaran]

Can I have an extra thingy or just an extra brain please? lolz.
One question, if everything is done by our brains like when I touch something my body sends signals to my brain and I feel it and the same feeling I am experiencing is registering as electricity moving in my brain, so how do I really feel? shouldn't brain sends something to me? oh wait all I feel and do is happening in my brain but am I my brain?
The person now is typing and sees and hears and feels, where is this person exactly? if when I touch my brain lights up and again upon feeling that touch my brain lights up and I feel it the same time.

If my brain is doing all the sending and receiving then where do I fit in here?

[CryptoCypherCoin]

This scientist re-wires frogs to grow extra limbs. Could it work in humans?

One morning in spring 2000, Michael Levin flopped in his chair and clicked on his desktop computer. A newly minted assistant professor at Harvard, Levin, then 30, was looking to solve a riddle that had baffled science for centuries: How do our dividing embryonic cells know on which side of our bodies to grow our hearts, our livers, our gall bladders? Countless people throughout history have been born with some, even all, of their organs transposed, and yet functioning. Levin suspected DNA alone was not to blame; there had to be some other trigger. Days earlier, he had ordered an imaging test on a half dozen chick embryos at the verge of organized development. As he pulled up the results, he stared, amazed. Electrical charges, rendered in yellows and reds, lay across the cells in patches, left to right, as clearly as a neon "This Way" arrow. Levin sat back and blinked. He was witnessing, for the first time in history, embryo cells telling each other left from right via electricity.

Read more at http://www.popsci.com/body-electrician-whos-rewiring-bodies.

OMG

has science gone too far?

Is this mad as mad as a bog of frogs?

[Japan_peopleffs]

Perhaps in the distant future, it will work in humans, this process is too little studied. The idea is good, you need to develop in this direction.

[Drowzy]

This research needs grants! Just imagine, someone with a missing limb or even a missing organ can regrow it themselves simply by programming cells. So we are just computers made of bio matter instead of silicon. I always suspected that.

[BADecker]

This research needs grants! Just imagine, someone with a missing limb or even a missing organ can regrow it themselves simply by programming cells. So we are just computers made of bio matter instead of silicon. I always suspected that.

Too bad people who do research like this aren't allowed by the medical to use crowd funding.

[daronch]

Incredibly interesting and amazing at the same time. Definitely needs more funds and research. Many people will benefit from this.

[dawnasor]

That is very interesting but I dont think if that will work on human body.
Frogs and humans are different creature.Even they want to start a research on this their organization will against on it

[0xfff]

Okay. I search the article and I cannot find a picture of a frog with extra limbs. Please provide an image of a frog with extra limbs or delete thread because it is click bait. Thanks

[Eternu]

That would be interesting, but i think it is not possible. Frogs are so different from us humans, and that is where problem lies in. But lets think for a moment that it is possible. It would be interesting thing to have. Im not sure if it would affect regenerative power of healing, or just simple regrowing limbs or parts of human organs. If it would affect regenerative power of healing than people would be almost immortal. Next questions is, how fast could you grow new organ or limb xD . Its interesting topic yes, but impossible for now maybe.

[Seccerius]

A frog and a man are very different organisms. It would be very useful, but it's impossible for a person yet. In primitive and simpler beings, limbs are easier to regenerate. The human body is more complex and rejects all alien. Scientists are working in this direction, but so far there has been no tangible progress.

[BADecker]

A frog and a man are very different organisms. It would be very useful, but it's impossible for a person yet. In primitive and simpler beings, limbs are easier to regenerate. The human body is more complex and rejects all alien. Scientists are working in this direction, but so far there has been no tangible progress.

The process might be very complex to truly make work. But the start has been there ever since we have transplanted organs successfully.

[grenade launcher]

A frog and a man are very different organisms. It would be very useful, but it's impossible for a person yet. In primitive and simpler beings, limbs are easier to regenerate. The human body is more complex and rejects all alien. Scientists are working in this direction, but so far there has been no tangible progress.

The process might be very complex to truly make work. But the start has been there ever since we have transplanted organs successfully.

This is really a very complicated process and not even all the transplanted organs take root, but this adds some life to some people. So far, only in the movies can sew the limbs of other people or grow new ones. I believe that someday people will be able to grow limbs.

[Qartada]

Frogs were seemingly just chosen to show that limb changes are possible, but it wouldn't work reasonably in humans.  Otherwise it would have happened in the past 17 years.

[bitbunnni]

That would be interesting, but i think it is not possible. Frogs are so different from us humans, and that is where problem lies in. But lets think for a moment that it is possible. It would be interesting thing to have. Im not sure if it would affect regenerative power of healing, or just simple regrowing limbs or parts of human organs. If it would affect regenerative power of healing than people would be almost immortal. Next questions is, how fast could you grow new organ or limb xD . Its interesting topic yes, but impossible for now maybe.

Yes. Animals have a different body structure and capabilities. For the human body it is necessary to do other technologies of growing limbs. The idea is very necessary and interesting, but medicine has so far advanced very little in this direction.

[dacueba]

you may rewire the body, but what about the brain?

the brain could not control extra legs

[00hash01]

you may rewire the body, but what about the brain?

the brain could not control extra legs

It all depends on how the nerve endings grow there. The operations for sewing nerve endings are now very complex and have few lucky chances. If the limbs grow like nails, then the brain must control them without problems. But if they sew, that is the probability of non-appearance of a foreign body and the brain can not control them.

[Nathan047]

Could they? Probably, at least after some more research. Should they? NO. I think science goes to far once they start messing with genes and altering your body parts like that. At least that’s my opinion.

[Beans]

Frogs are very different from Humans. It could work in humans but it may take another give or take 30 years. Growing limbs on lab may take 30 years to be perfected but growing the limps directly from amputated person is much much longer I guess.