Hidden Bibliographic Details
| Varying Form of Title: | Stronger, long lasting skeletal muscles through biotech?
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| Other authors / contributors: | President's Council on Bioethics (U.S.)
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| Notes: | Title from title screen (viewed on Oct. 15, 2004).
Mode of access: Internet from the PCBE web site. Address as of 6/30/04: http://bioethics.gov/background/strong%5Fmuscles.html; current access available via PURL.
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| Summary: | With an increased understanding of how many of the important genes in muscle cells function and are regulated, the parallel development of gene therapy techniques for efficient and controlled expression of genes is beginning to open up new possibilities for treating muscular dystrophies as well as maintaining "youthful" muscle size and strength during the aging process. This paper discusses the ends to which such increased understanding and power to modify should be put when it comes to human muscles. Biotechnological approaches to repair and strengthening of diseased and aging skeletal muscles have been demonstrated in experimental animals. The application of these approaches (once they are shown to be safe and effective) to treat human muscular dystrophies clearly falls within current understandings of appropriate therapy. A more difficult judgment is whether we should extend the application of these approaches to a variety of other situations that are currently "beyond therapy."
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| GPO item no.: | 0851-J-16 (online)
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| Govt.docs classification: | PR 43.8:B 52/2004023497
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