Can this technique produce a easier to modify human genome?

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redfuel - 30 Aug 2006 02:39 GMT

Before the NUTZ start pouring in by the dozens, let me take this time
to say that I consider myself a Conservative thinker. But I am still
only a student. I have a pretty Closed Mind to any form of alternative
medicine or science of any kind.

Now on to my question:
Recently http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14560677/ a rat's sperm producing
cells were placed into a mouse's testicle. The rat sperm was then
harvested from the mice and used to fertilize rat eggs and produce
perfectly healthy rat offspring. The interesting part of this article
is at the end:

"While this breakthrough raises the possibility of growing human sperm
in other animals to generate viable human offspring, "it is not a good
idea," Shinohara said. Besides the ethical issues, he noted there are
viruses present in animals that could write themselves into genetic
codes of the human sperm."

My question is this and ONLY THIS: Would a human sperm with several of
these viruses written into it's genetic code be a candidate for use in
genetic engineering?

I mean would it be easier to make modifications to the genome of an
individual with viruses as part of their makeup? Retroviruses aside,
would this be a "helpful" thing for some kind of future gene therapy?

I have written this question carefully so as to discourage one of
"THEM" from answering it first. Alas, this is the internet.

P.S.
I swear to god if someone posts something like "helpful for what,
making a half mouse half human person" I'm going to punch my monitor
screen angrily. Please include some reference in your answers!

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Bob - 30 Aug 2006 04:13 GMT

>Before the NUTZ start pouring in by the dozens, let me take this time
>to say that I consider myself a Conservative thinker. But I am still
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>individual with viruses as part of their makeup? Retroviruses aside,
>would this be a "helpful" thing for some kind of future gene therapy?

The simple answer is no. The main reason is that the kind of event
suggested is random, and the user would have no knowledge of it (what
it is, where it is).

[Having known viral genes in known places might be useful.]

You might also post your question on sci.bio.technology

bob

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bae@cs.toronto.no-uce.edu - 30 Aug 2006 05:03 GMT

>Before the NUTZ start pouring in by the dozens, let me take this time
>to say that I consider myself a Conservative thinker. But I am still
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>viruses present in animals that could write themselves into genetic
>codes of the human sperm."

This is an important objection -- new diseases could be transferred
to humans that presently exist in other animals which have developed
resistance to them. Note that HIV/AIDS and Ebola are examples of
diseases which are harmless in their usual hosts, but devastating
when transferred to humans. Some viral-induced cancers are spread
from parent to offspring by incorporation into germ cells too -- Roux
sarcoma in chickens is an example.

>My question is this and ONLY THIS: Would a human sperm with several of
>these viruses written into it's genetic code be a candidate for use in
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>individual with viruses as part of their makeup? Retroviruses aside,
>would this be a "helpful" thing for some kind of future gene therapy?

One current method of genetic engineering involves the use of viruses
to incorporate other genetic material into chromosomes. In diseases
like familial hypercholesterolemia, liver cells are removed from the
patient, treated with viruses carrying the desired correct form of
the human gene, and reinjected into the patient where they find their
way back to the liver and provide control of the condition, for several
months, at least.

There's no point to starting with cells already containing some
random virus. The virus is used in the above technique to carry new
DNA into the cells.

I'm racking my brain to figure out what this rat/mouse technique
would be useful for, and the only thing I can come up with would
be to transfer bull sperm stem cells to a smaller, more tractable
animal like a goat, so artificial insemination companies can maintain
more sires more economically and safely. However, I suspect the mice
used above were one of those strains with a defective immune system,
so they don't reject transplants, but have to be kept under sterile
conditions -- not very useful for a farm animal.

>I have written this question carefully so as to discourage one of
>"THEM" from answering it first. Alas, this is the internet.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>making a half mouse half human person" I'm going to punch my monitor
>screen angrily. Please include some reference in your answers!

Please remain calm. On the other hand, since you've requested references
and I haven't exerted myself to find any for you, go ahead, but wrap
something around your hand first and wear safety glasses.

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