regenerative medicine

3D Printing: Is Bio-Printing the Future of Organ Replacement?

by Socrates
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I have written previously about the unfolding revolution in 3D printing which will eventually penetrate every facet of home-made manufacturing including the printing of food. Now, picture the following scenario: You get a full 3 dimensional scan of your complete body geometry. One day there is an accident and unfortunately you lose an ear or some other part of your body. Still, nothing that you really should worry about: Your doctor opens up your unique body geometry back up file, selects the exact specs on the missing body part and prints out a brand new ear which is virtually identical to the one you just lost. This may well be the future of organ and body-part replacement technologies produced by the latest breakthroughs in reconstructive medicine and bio-printing. Sounds far-fetched? Well, here are some videos in support of that claim. [...]

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Regenerative Medicine And Gambling: Is Longer Life Of Greater Value?

by Kieran Griffith
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A funny thing happened to me when I first heard of the SENS Foundation and their program to develop strategies that will make it possible to live indefinitely. The day before, if you had asked me to take a free ride on NASA’s Space Shuttle I would have accepted with elation. But when I fully realized that I might live a thousand years (provided that I don’t die in an accident) I realized I would only want to go on a Russian Soyuz Spacecraft, which is far safer and has not had a fatal accident in 39 years. The Shuttle is reusable but its R & D budget was cut in half by President Nixon, so the final design did not get an emergency escape system. Given that there is a strong probability that I may live longer than originally [...]

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2 Amazing Regenerative Medicine Videos

by Socrates
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Scientists at Columbia University have engineered an anatomically-accurate human jawbone using human stem cells. The second video is even more impressive than the first one for it is demonstrating work on regenerating bones, tissues and organs right within the body itself. It seems that, as one of the experts says, we need to give up on all ideas of what we thought was impossible… Thus the question is nor really if, but how soon will regenerative medicine technologies like the above be widely available and at affordable prices for anyone who needs them. My answer to that: Not a moment too soon… Related articles by Zemanta Molly Stevens: Getting the body to grow its own spare parts (guardian.co.uk) Replacement Bones, Grown to Order in the Lab (biosingularity.wordpress.com) This Living Human Bone Was Grown In Lab [Medicine] (gizmodo.com)

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