Post by FaithWalker on Jul 18, 2008 11:41:23 GMT -6
Pregnancy at 100? A newborn giving birth?
Both may be possible in 30 years, according to Davor Solter, a developmental biologist at the Institute of Medical Biology in Singapore.
Solter, writing in the journal Nature, claims that advancements over the next 30 years should make it possible for women at any age to give birth.
Solter said this will be possible if scientists continue advancing germ cell technology, which involves turning skin cells into sperm and eggs, and then combining the two into human embryos.
"It means every person regardless of age will be able to have children: newborn children could have children and 100-year-olds could have children," he wrote. "It could easily happen in the next 30 years."
Solter's prediction comes as the world's first test tube baby, Louise Brown, celebrates her 30th birthday. To mark the event, the scientific journal asked experts what they believed the next 30 years of fertility research would bring.
Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing editor of health for FOXNews.com, said while pregnancy at 100 may be possible some day, it would not likely be recommended by most doctors because "there are numerous health risks to women — and their babies — who decide to give birth late in life."
"The stress that is put on the heart, kidneys and liver put the lives of older women in danger," he said. "And babies have the risk of not getting enough nutrients because the vascular system would be so compromised in the wombs of 100-year-olds."
Solter predicts that germ cell technology also will help to improve the health of babies while they are still in the womb.
"Today you can't experiment on human embryos because it's considered morally repugnant — and they are difficult to get," he wrote.
"If embryos could be grown in culture like any other cell line, this latter problem would disappear. It would mean you could introduce any kind of genetic modification," he continued. "The cell lines could be used to correct a mutation or to engineer an improvement, and used to make a mutant embryo for research purposes."
Solter said he also envisions a future where babies are grown in artificial placentas for research purposes.
"In essence, it would eliminate all the limitations we have now: you could have as many or as few progeny as you want," he said. "I have no idea how easy it would be. I can visualize a fetus floating freely in fluid and the umbilical cord attached to a machine. But I don't know how much implantation is necessary."
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Both may be possible in 30 years, according to Davor Solter, a developmental biologist at the Institute of Medical Biology in Singapore.
Solter, writing in the journal Nature, claims that advancements over the next 30 years should make it possible for women at any age to give birth.
Solter said this will be possible if scientists continue advancing germ cell technology, which involves turning skin cells into sperm and eggs, and then combining the two into human embryos.
"It means every person regardless of age will be able to have children: newborn children could have children and 100-year-olds could have children," he wrote. "It could easily happen in the next 30 years."
Solter's prediction comes as the world's first test tube baby, Louise Brown, celebrates her 30th birthday. To mark the event, the scientific journal asked experts what they believed the next 30 years of fertility research would bring.
Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing editor of health for FOXNews.com, said while pregnancy at 100 may be possible some day, it would not likely be recommended by most doctors because "there are numerous health risks to women — and their babies — who decide to give birth late in life."
"The stress that is put on the heart, kidneys and liver put the lives of older women in danger," he said. "And babies have the risk of not getting enough nutrients because the vascular system would be so compromised in the wombs of 100-year-olds."
Solter predicts that germ cell technology also will help to improve the health of babies while they are still in the womb.
"Today you can't experiment on human embryos because it's considered morally repugnant — and they are difficult to get," he wrote.
"If embryos could be grown in culture like any other cell line, this latter problem would disappear. It would mean you could introduce any kind of genetic modification," he continued. "The cell lines could be used to correct a mutation or to engineer an improvement, and used to make a mutant embryo for research purposes."
Solter said he also envisions a future where babies are grown in artificial placentas for research purposes.
"In essence, it would eliminate all the limitations we have now: you could have as many or as few progeny as you want," he said. "I have no idea how easy it would be. I can visualize a fetus floating freely in fluid and the umbilical cord attached to a machine. But I don't know how much implantation is necessary."
Link