I think this is just a longer extension of the old, broken medical model - we have to "do" something (take something, manipulate something, remove something, add a device to the body) every time we are uncomfortable with the way it is performing. The body heals itself naturally and often has what is sometimes referred to as "healing crisis" which can appear to be "illness" but is, instead, the natural function of the bodies adaptation and change function. By traumatizing the body with a medical interruption to this process instead of allowing the body its natural healing cycles, we delay or destroy the healing. I am not talking about mending a broken bone or life saving measures (although some of what is considered life saving I find questionable.) Take the bacterial strep pneumonia, a bacteria found everywhere that lives dormant in everyone. Occasionally, and we don't know why, it takes over the body and in a very short time can be fatal. Yet we live peacefully with it in most cases.
I don't think we understand enough about the true nature of illness to start changing our DNA to stop it. Our current model of illness intervention (pharmaceuticals and surgeries) has prolonged life but the quality of that life is questionable and it is highly doubtful that it makes us any healthier overall. In fact, quite the opposite. The healthiest people I know are the ones that take no pills on a daily basis. The unhealthiest are the ones (and there are MANY) that take handfuls each day. Currently, our medical model catches people as soon as they begin to use the system - antibiotics to treat colds, if the lungs are wheezing, prescribe an inhaler, a mild heart palpitation, heart medication, anxiety, anti anxiety pills... on and on until the body is completely out of balance and not able to self regulate. Our DNA has a natural evolution of change that allows our conscious evolution. Because we have the science to manipulate it doesn't mean it is always beneficial for us to do so. On Jan 6, 11:36 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > We've known for a long time that our antibody-forming system adapts > itself to every microbe we encounter. What we didn't understand fully > is exactly how this happens. Now that we know, we can begin to find > ways to manipulate this process so illnesses can be prevented or made > significantly less dangerous. > > When the body encounters a foreign invader, like a virus or bacterium, > it immediately begins to find a way to neutralize it by means of > cellular or antibody-mediated defenses. Part of the process involves > tailoring the genes that code for antibodies to specific viruses or > bacteria. Researchers have known that this involves two types of > genetic manipulation. One type changes a single gene at a time, and > the other type changes multiple genes at the same time. Multiple > genes can be modified simultaneously to make the "evolutionary leap" > necessary to stave off infection. You treat DNA responsible for making > antibody molecules with an enzyme, called activation-induced > deaminase, while the DNA copies RNA polymerase. Like a scanner, RNA > polymerase moves across the DNA to copy it. When this scanning process > moves smoothly, there were either single mutations or no mutations. > We can now stall the RNA polymerase (under certain conditions) as it > "scans", causing cluster mutations in the DNA, adapting our > antibodies for a rapid and effective response to a new microbial > invader. Germs are mutating all over the place - we can now "plan" > mutations of our own to save us as global warming makes infectious > diseases one the biggest threats to human survival. Personally, I > would rather leap into a new form of existence much more sensible than > the human one, No work seems to being done on this. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
