Mussel Glue Could Help Repair Birth Defects 53
sciencehabit writes "When it comes to hanging on tight, the lowly mussel has few rivals in nature. Researchers have sought the secrets behind the bivalve's steadfast grip on wet, slippery rock. Now, a researcher says he has used the mollusk's tricks to develop medical applications. These include a biocompatible glue that could one day seal fetal membranes, allowing prenatal surgeons to repair birth defects without triggering dangerous premature labor."
Always 15-20 years til commercially available... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Always 15-20 years til commercially available.. (Score:5, Insightful)
15 years ago is about right actually..
Consider:
"We are the FDA. We demand you make very costly animal model studies first, then, after those studies, you have conduct phase 1 and phase 2 human clinical trials, THEN, AFTER THAT, we have to decide if we want to approve commercial use and production or not."
Throw in a few bouts of "Oh my gawd! They put clam juice inside some poor gerbil, and glued it all up inside! THOSE MONSTERS!", and a few rounds of "Animal models are poor substitutes for human testing, and amount to nothing, so you arent getting funding."
In the end, 15 years since "Hey! This stuff looks very promising as a biosafe adhesive for surgical applications!" looks like BREAKNECK PROGRESS!
(and you wonder why rich americans with deadly diseases and debilitating conditions leave the US to go on "Medical vacations" in the EU and Thailand.)
Re:Always 15-20 years til commercially available.. (Score:1, Insightful)
Said the ignorant hipster fuckhead who was fortunate enough to be born without life-threatening birth defects. Although you were certainly born with your head up your asshole.
Re:Always 15-20 years til commercially available.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Birth defects can come from any number of sources, and are not necessarily indicative that the parents are genetically unfit.
Take for instance, spinal tube defects arising from improper prenatal nutrition in the female, in regard to folate intake.
Which would you rather have: Mommy and Daddy with "Wheelchair Willie", their precious angel, that requires 24/7 nursing, monitoring, special needs assistance, and government support for life---
Or: "Willie" is perfectly healthy and normal after doctors surgically promoted proper neural tube closure, with the help of a bio-safe adhesive and embryonic surgery techniques.
This is a no-brainer even for self-centered assholes who hate other people being alive. (Because of the inconveniences those other people make for them.)
Re:Always 15-20 years til commercially available.. (Score:1, Insightful)
Birth defects can come from any number of sources, and are not necessarily indicative that the parents are genetically unfit.
I know reading comprehension isn't all the rage these days.
So I will spell out for you the obvious alternative for would-be parents. Instead of deciding that 7+ billion people still isn't enough, they could oh I don't know, adopt a lonely unwanted child who really needs a loving family. Why, that would in fact be less selfish than propagating your own DNA like our instincts want us to do.
This is a no-brainer even for self-centered assholes who hate other people being alive. (Because of the inconveniences those other people make for them.)
Yes, some of us think about 1 billion people living with abundant resources for everybody, a real time of plenty, is better than 7+ billion with the vast majority of the world population living in poverty and misery. Ever been to a third-world country? Yeah, that's how most human beings live. It's easy to forget that in our comfortable Western homes. Some of us want better than this for our fellow humans.
Man, what a bunch of self-centered assholes. What definitely, certainly, absolutely JUST CAN'T be self-centered or asshole-ish is calling other people names because you don't share their opinions about what might be better than the world we know today. Oh and your lack of a better suggestion is a nice touch too, very creative and constructive of you. Yup, you're just a paragon of self-less brotherly love.
If it weren't for the FDA (Score:4, Insightful)
this would still be the 1700's.