Conquer Club

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-ucla-transplant-patient.html

So UCLA did a hand transplant on this woman, about 5 years after she lost her original. I find this extremely exciting, and in fact this is one of the fields I obviously have much interest in (not so much the surgery but the research). It's a clinical trial, so they're pretty much testing techniques and attempting to maximize the chances that the hand will be accepted and eventually become fully functional.

I'm working towards something in the biological field, like molecular biology/biogerontology/biomedical research--something like that, and the idea that we could make this a viable option for amputees thrills me to no end.

Anyway, discuss.

-TG

We had one of those done recently too. At Emory U. It's pretty exciting stuff. The immunology is particularly interesting to me. There has to be an alternative to lifelong immunosuppression out there.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-rar ... emory.html

How much longer till we can do a brain transplant?

And yeah, that's pretty damn cool.

I'm accepting test subjects now.

Note: the brain has to be inworking order, which eliminates much of cc.

jonesthecurl wrote:Note: the brain has to be inworking order, which eliminates much of cc.

Zing!

Neoteny wrote:We had one of those done recently too. At Emory U. It's pretty exciting stuff. The immunology is particularly interesting to me. There has to be an alternative to lifelong immunosuppression out there.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-rar ... emory.html

Yeah that's what caught my eye as well. Your article mentioned the 1998 French hand replacement, where the guy stopped taking the immunosuppresive drugs and asked for the hand to be removed. I imagine that the more replacements they do, the greater chance they could find an alternative.

-TG

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:Yeah that's what caught my eye as well. Your article mentioned the 1998 French hand replacement, where the guy stopped taking the immunosuppresive drugs and asked for the hand to be removed.

I remember reading about that case. It turned out the guy they gave the transplant was mentally unstable, and started imagining things about the hand, so he stopped taking the immunosupressants... Guess they'll do a better background check to the next one...

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-ucla-transplant-patient.html

So UCLA did a hand transplant on this woman, about 5 years after she lost her original. I find this extremely exciting, and in fact this is one of the fields I obviously have much interest in (not so much the surgery but the research). It's a clinical trial, so they're pretty much testing techniques and attempting to maximize the chances that the hand will be accepted and eventually become fully functional.

I'm working towards something in the biological field, like molecular biology/biogerontology/biomedical research--something like that, and the idea that we could make this a viable option for amputees thrills me to no end.

Anyway, discuss.

-TG

How long before this procedure becomes a "right"?

Probably about the same time your political views mesh with reality.

Neoteny wrote:Probably about the same time your political views mesh with reality.

That's funny. What is so unrealistic about my views? FYI, I have compromised all my views long ago in the name of reality.

I'm sure we could start a thread in this forum listing the issues with your worldview if anyone would actually care enough to comment. Sorry to hear about your integrity, though.

Phatscotty wrote:
How long before this procedure becomes a "right"?

It doesn't look like it matters which hand they work on.

Phatscotty wrote:

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-ucla-transplant-patient.html

So UCLA did a hand transplant on this woman, about 5 years after she lost her original. I find this extremely exciting, and in fact this is one of the fields I obviously have much interest in (not so much the surgery but the research). It's a clinical trial, so they're pretty much testing techniques and attempting to maximize the chances that the hand will be accepted and eventually become fully functional.

I'm working towards something in the biological field, like molecular biology/biogerontology/biomedical research--something like that, and the idea that we could make this a viable option for amputees thrills me to no end.

Anyway, discuss.

-TG

How long before this procedure becomes a "right"?

Phatscotty invades thread he doesn't understand anything about, posts inane political one liners. *yawn*

Yeah tails, I'm in the bioengineering field too. The problem with transplants is mostly genetic. Since everyone has different genetic code, I don't really think that a transplant with no rejection will be possible. Artificial organs have a good deal of research behind them, I think that it could be viable to grow more than just organs, but ETA would probably still be 50+ years as there are significant problems with synthetic scaffolds right now.

Phatscotty wrote:

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-ucla-transplant-patient.html

So UCLA did a hand transplant on this woman, about 5 years after she lost her original. I find this extremely exciting, and in fact this is one of the fields I obviously have much interest in (not so much the surgery but the research). It's a clinical trial, so they're pretty much testing techniques and attempting to maximize the chances that the hand will be accepted and eventually become fully functional.

I'm working towards something in the biological field, like molecular biology/biogerontology/biomedical research--something like that, and the idea that we could make this a viable option for amputees thrills me to no end.

Anyway, discuss.

-TG

How long before this procedure becomes a "right"?

You'll notice there was a distinct lack of anything political in the title or op of my thread. Thanks.

Saf wrote:Yeah tails, I'm in the bioengineering field too. The problem with transplants is mostly genetic. Since everyone has different genetic code, I don't really think that a transplant with no rejection will be possible. Artificial organs have a good deal of research behind them, I think that it could be viable to grow more than just organs, but ETA would probably still be 50+ years as there are significant problems with synthetic scaffolds right now.

Yeah from what I've read that option would make things a lot easier, but as you said, tech like that is still in its infancy. However, you never know, some Einstein in the field could come along and move this right along.

-TG

Saf wrote:Yeah tails, I'm in the bioengineering field too. The problem with transplants is mostly genetic. Since everyone has different genetic code, I don't really think that a transplant with no rejection will be possible. Artificial organs have a good deal of research behind them, I think that it could be viable to grow more than just organs, but ETA would probably still be 50+ years as there are significant problems with synthetic scaffolds right now.

Synthetic trachea implant with functional scaffold.

I think Saf and Neotony will find this pretty awesome if they don't already know about it.

-TG

I want a robot hand. One that makes little whirring noises when I move my fingers.

natty_dread wrote:I want a robot hand. One that makes little whirring noises when I move my fingers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsU1t2vkURg

Ash beat you to it.

-TG

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:

Saf wrote:Yeah tails, I'm in the bioengineering field too. The problem with transplants is mostly genetic. Since everyone has different genetic code, I don't really think that a transplant with no rejection will be possible. Artificial organs have a good deal of research behind them, I think that it could be viable to grow more than just organs, but ETA would probably still be 50+ years as there are significant problems with synthetic scaffolds right now.

Synthetic trachea implant with functional scaffold.

I think Saf and Neotony will find this pretty awesome if they don't already know about it.

-TG

Yep saw it on the news. The real difficult stuff is the organs with the different tissue layers. But those will be the big lifesavers for transplant patients.

This was performed a while ago. Anyone know what the outcome is now?

It was performed a month ago... The article said he was still in the hospital recovering.

-TG

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:It was performed a month ago... The article said he was still in the hospital recovering.

-TG

Oh, then I am thinking of an earlier one.

Oh the hand one? Don't know, haven't heard anything about it.

-TG

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:Yeah that's what caught my eye as well.

-TG

I think people can do eye transplants as well.