@vulpinelabs I was a bio major and I have a special interest in genetics and cell biology, so I'm intrigued, but I'm also confused about what the plan is. From what I learned in school, it doesn't seem as though gene editing could change the body all that much. Most big changes would have to happen in the womb, would they not? We could certainly edit the genes in our gametes for future generations, but I don't understand how we could, using one of your examples, give ourselves big paws
@raphaelmorgan Atha here. The idea that gene edits could only have much effect in the womb is a commonly held misconception based on the limited degree of technological advancement that has so far percolated into public awareness of scientific capability and possibility.
There are examples of the use of CRISPR, among other methods, to edit small numbers of genes in specific cell types in children and adults (some citations will be linked in a follow up reply on here when we can find the links for you).
What we intend to do is to build a simulation of the whole body (all cell types) to better enable the development of gene edits which, rather than being introduced in isolation from each other, or indeed in disorganised clusters, they will be built into custom designed gene editing vectors which unfold sequentially to carry out complex processes in such a way as works best with each individual patient's genome and characteristics, as simulated first before producing the vector with its complex payload for real.

@vulpinelabs @raphaelmorgan also someone managed to temporarily gene edit their lactose tolerance into themselves which wore off as the cells got replaced as there's not enough cells that were edited: https://youtu.be/aoczYXJeMY4

There was also a lot of other papers:
Like this would be useful for example to repurpose a cell to use as a different kind https://www.uwa.edu.au/news/Article/2023/August/Scientists-find-way-to-wipe-a-cells-memory-to-reprogram-it-as-a-stem-cell

But here's some other examples of some current tech:

https://www.chop.edu/news/worlds-first-patient-treated-personalized-crispr-gene-editing-therapy-childrens-hospital

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2504747

Also this https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10733529/

But also vulpine labs has some papers that are being put together: https://laberation.pubpub.org/pub/laberation/release/1

Am I still lactose tolerant? - Lactose Gene Therapy Update

YouTube
@Kuniti_shino @raphaelmorgan what is being said here are some citations
@Kuniti_shino @vulpinelabs I was aware of using CRISPR to cure diseases, but I'm still not sure how it can be used to grow a new body part. That said, I know that science is a process of discovering things no one thought were possible, and while this project seems very ambitious it also appears to be relatively informed and aware that this will at the least take a long time. I'm not sure how much help I can be *right now*, but for the future, I'm in! I'll probably add it to the fedi time bank