I think the inevitable next step after "cancer management" is cartoonish monstrosities

"First Gene Therapy Successful Against Aging-Associated Decline: Mouse Lifespan Extended Up to 24% With a Single Treatment"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514204050.htm




So the future is nearly here. Again. (Its getting boring now. Just tell me when its safe to take up smoking, please.)



So gene-therapy wise, I think humans are at the stage of "discovering fire" but don't yet have any idea on fire-fighting. Basically we have loads of methods to cause cell division, and are starting to understanding cellular communication strategies, but almost any mechanism we poke at, can cause run-away cell division and we have no tools to deal with this problem in a nuanced or subtle fashion.


Better control of cellular division is a key area of research, basically the body has lots of tools for repairing damaged cells. Telomeres are strings of nucleotides sticking out of chromosomes which get degraded during cell division, i.e. are one of many accumulative causes of aging. Telomerase is an enzyme which repairs telomeres.

These genetic modifications discussed in the article almost certainly increase the likelihood of cancer, so stuff like this is years away and requires a much better control of cancer effects before humans could take therapies like that.

But it also suggests that once humans have control of cell division and the "undifferentiated cellular" problems of cancer there is a lot of just crazy shit which is no longer really dangerous. (or quite as dangerous)

Human growth hormone (HGF) is one example or a chemical that causes loads of tumours, basically if it didn't cause neoplasm, then athletes could go bonkers and dope themselves into monstrosities.

I for one, would pay to see that.

The worlds strongest man anyone?

http://collider.com/hulk-tv-show-abc-2013/166458/