Encouraging news for transhumanists who want to extend human lifespans to Methuselah levels: scientists at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, have genetically engineered mice which can run for hours without stopping. They can also reproduce at the age of 2.5 years, while normal mice stop reproducing at 1 year. They are metabolically similar to Lance Armstrong biking up the Pyrenees; they utilise mainly fatty acids for energy and produce very little lactic acid,” said Richard W. Hanson, the lead author of an article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

The “mighty mice” are seven times more active in their home cages than other mice and are markedly more aggressive — not necessarily a good prognostic for humans. “We humans have exactly the same gene. But this is not something that you’d do to a human,” says Dr Hanson. “It’s completely wrong. We do not think that this mouse model is an appropriate model for human gene therapy. It is currently not possible to introduce genes into the skeletal muscles of humans and it would not be ethical to even try.”

• Author
• Recent Posts

Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)

• How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
• House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
• Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021