When the time comes and you need some limb or tissue replaced, there's a safe somewhere which saved your functioning cells as a baby, from which a new fully functional limb or tissue can be recreated.-- pashute, Oct 01 2002 PLASTICITY AND REPROGRAMMING http://www.nature.c...full/nrm881_fs.htmlOF DIFFERENTIATED CELLS IN AMPHIBIAN REGENERATION [thumbwax]Freezing your umbilical cord http://www.parentsc...aby/c-umbilical.htmApparently, somewhat Baked. [thumbwax, Oct 01 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004] Stem Cell research in the news. http://news.bbc.co....mericas/2288255.stmApparently, st3f, stem cell research is on hold until the USA gets another president. [DrBob, Oct 02 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004] ... and what if you needed them already. "I know you don't have a left leg, but that's because we took these cells out when you were very young in case you needed to grow a left leg."-- PeterSilly, Oct 01 2002 would I have one baby leg and one adult leg?-- po, Oct 01 2002 I dunno, but if you had a *thing*, you could then honestly say *it* hangs down below your knee.-- thumbwax, Oct 01 2002 I'm afraid Mr. Bobbit that the rat, that was growing your new thing on its back, has escaped.-- FarmerJohn, Oct 01 2002 watch out for the Farmers wife, she chops all sorts with a carving knife-- po, Oct 01 2002 It would be more effective to take some of the stem cells from the blastocyst soon after conception. These cells wouldn't have found their specification yet and could become any organ or part of the body to repair damage.
New Scientist had an article about a year ago (maybe more) postulating that the first immortals might now be among us because of techniques such as this. The idea is old news but I have yet to hear of someone who has done this to/for their child.-- st3f, Oct 01 2002 I have a confession to make... I'm a salamander *sobs*-- thumbwax, Oct 01 2002 do salamanders eat sugar lumps? <proffers one hopefully>-- po, Oct 01 2002 Apart from the fact that this only works for IVF (see [st3f]'s anno) this is a pretty good idea .... regeneration, here we come.-- 8th of 7, Oct 02 2002 random, halfbakery