Mutation Found in 'Muscle Man' Toddler

[Domitan]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=541&e=1&u=/ap/mighty_muscle_gene

Somewhere in Germany is a baby Superman, born in Berlin with bulging arm and leg muscles. Not yet 5, he can hold seven-pound weights with arms extended, something many adults cannot do. He has muscles twice the size of other kids his age and half their body fat. DNA testing showed why: The boy has a genetic mutation that boosts muscle growth.

Many scientists believe the find could eventually lead to drugs for treating people with muscular dystrophy and other muscle-destroying conditions. And athletes would almost surely want to get their hands on such a drug and use it like steroids to bulk up.

The boy's mutant DNA segment was found to block production of a protein called myostatin that limits muscle growth. The news comes seven years after researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore created buff "mighty mice" by "turning off" the gene that directs cells to produce myostatin.



Dare we say that Neitzsche's Overman has arrived?!?!

[AlecBGreen]

1. G M Chrysler!

that kids legs are bigger than mine!

[JayS]

12. Some good may come from this.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2644175

Many scientists believe the find could eventually lead to drugs for treating people with muscular dystrophy and other muscle-destroying conditions.

"Now we can say that myostatin acts the same way in humans as in animals," said the boy's physician, Dr. Markus Schuelke, a professor in the child neurology department at Charite/University Medical Center Berlin. "We can apply that knowledge to humans, including trial therapies for muscular dystrophy."

*SNIP*

Muscular dystrophy is the world's most common genetic disease. There is no cure and the most common form, Duchenne's, usually kills before adulthood.

"If you could find a way to block myostatin activity, you might slow the wasting process," said Dr. Se-Jin Lee, the Johns Hopkins professor whose team created the "mighty mice."

[JayS]

15. Muscular Dystrophy n/t

n/t

[baldguy]

2. But is his dad going to ante up for the Secret Underground Lair?

[sam sarrha]

3. they better get his DNA patented so they can get paid for ever storm

trooper that is cloned off him...

[seasat]

4. LOL, I wonder how many US college football recruiters

have visited them. He probably already has a dozen scholarship offers. :evilgrin:

[Maeve]

5. Hmmmm...how will the anti-evolution folk react to this?

So many claim that mutations are almost never beneficial...just asking...

[treepig]

11. it's doubtful that this mutation will be beneficial in the long run

it would appear that the single allele penetrance of this mutant is high enough, that if there were an evolutionary advantage it would have been manifest long ago.

sadly, this kid will probably have major problems a few years from now when there is no mechanism to stop his muscles from growing when they should.

[LibLabUK]

16. Hmm...

I wonder if the increased muscle tone and size at such an early age would negatively impact bone growth??

[lumpy]

20. I was wondering that also.

Those muscles need bone support.

[nonkultur]

6. Time to build some Sentinels?

I hope Magneto does not recruit this kid. :)

[GarySeven]

7. Where's Dr. Xavier?

This kid needs to be taught how to use his super powers for good, not for the Republicans.

[Voice_of_Europe]

8. Some genetic facts...

They found out that he inherited the "defunct" gene from his mother.

Since you got every chromosome double (except X and Y Chromosome) you also have every gene double, one from your mother, one from your father.

Note that although you got the gene double, you can have DIFFERENT versions of this gene, since one comes from your mother, the other from your father.


The mother of the boy also carries the "defunct" gene on one of her doublets, but the other doublet makes sure her body works ok.

In the boy's case he's got BOTH doublets "defunct" and his body doesn't produce the right proteins anymore.




By "defunct" i don't mean he's sick or anything. It means that his body will not produce a certain protein which inhibits the the production of fresh muscle cells from stem cells.

In "normal" people that protein ALWAYS inhibits the production of new muscle cells EXCEPT in case of injuries.
(building up your muscles results in microscopic injuries which you feel as muscle ache and the forming of fresh and more muscle cells).


I wonder if the boy might have problems later.
Unchecked cell growth is always bad.
See cancer or the petrifying disease where bone cells grow uncontrolled.

[abburdlen]

10. Problems later

I can't imagine how he'd end up with a normal skelton. I would really suck to have stronger muscles than bones. There is a reason kids under 16 shouldn't do weight lifting.

[giant_robot]

17. Let's hope that gene therapy

advances enough to treat this kid before he develops problems. Designing a delivery vector to target skeletal muscle will probably be a bitch, though.

[Kinkistyle]

9. Hows the kid's noggin.

I mean seriously, genetic mutations are not always fun and bubbles. Many times there are side-effects and the one which I would worry about is how the kid mental development is affected - if at all.

[THUNDER HANDS]

13. okay...raise your hand if you want to be the

kid on the playground who makes the mistake of picking on this kid because he's "different"

[hunter]

14. Page 66, July Scientific American...

There is a picture of a Belgian Blue Bull. These animals have a similar gene defect. It's a scary looking critter -- if it was green it would look very much like the "Hulk."

This toddler will look like an extreme body builder all his life, and he will probably suffer similar health problems.

[DS1]

18. Good thing he didn't try punch his way out, methinks

:scared:

[Devils Advocate NZ]

19. An extremely rare genetic disorder...

Researchers would not disclose the German boy's identity but said he was born to a somewhat muscular mother, a 24-year-old former professional sprinter. Her brother and three other close male relatives all were unusually strong, with one of them a construction worker able to unload heavy curbstones by hand.


In the mother, one copy of the gene is mutated and the other is normal; the boy has two mutated copies. One almost definitely came from his father, but no information about him has been disclosed. The mutation is very rare in people.

So from this, it seems that the mother, her brother and other male relatives all might have this genetic defect (unusual strength and muscularity being mentioned).

It then goes on to mention that this RARE genetic defect was passed to the child by both the mother AND the father! What are the chances of that?

Unless...

Hmm, no mention of the father? I wonder why the secrecy?

[Sufi Marmot]

29. If both parents carry one allele...

It then goes on to mention that this RARE genetic defect was passed to the child by both the mother AND the father! What are the chances of that?

If both parents are carriers and heterozygous for the mutant allele, than each of their offspring has a 25% chance to inherit the condition (assuming simple Mendelian genetics...)

The prevelance of the condition in a population depends on how many people in the population have that particular allele.

-SM

[Voice_of_Europe]

31. yup... mother has it too (hidden)

Yes, the mother is confirmed to have bad gene in 1 allel.

[daleo]

21. I believe Bam-Bam Rubble had this mutation, long ago

During the Stone Age. He was adopted and his parentage was never known. His history was only known up until his teen-age years (and an inferior history that was), so it will not be possible to determine whether he shared the same mutation as this unfortunate child.

[Dr Fate]

22. Wow- possibly a "good" mutation?...

Now perhaps my science is off here- but this is prety neat- because for years "creationists" have been making the claim that "good" mutations do not exist...

[KittyWampus]

23. I Knew A Kid Like This While Lifeguarding

weirdest freaking thing... a small boy with really well developed muscles.

[lojasmo]

24. stage one tests will show

Generalized hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. I hope nobody tries to develop this particular brand of biotech.

[kutastha]

27. ?

is the same myostatin gene involved in cardiac muscle as in skeletal?

[lojasmo]

30. myostatin has been found

In cardiac muscle. Google "myostatin cardiac"

[Jack_DeLeon]

25. So which Republican Senator will...

sponsor the Mutant Registration Act?

[lojasmo]

26. it will never reach human trials N/T

[JayS]

32. Why do you think there will be no human trials? I ask this...

...because a friend's kid has a form of MD and this might be the ticket to saving his life.

[lojasmo]

33. I believe it will cause cardiomyopathy in animals.

Heart muscle contains the same anti-growth substance. (myostatin) I'd bet the heat muscle will grow thick and stiff.

[JayS]

34. I wonder what would happen in a person with muscles that...

...are rapidly growing weak. Would the effects sort of cancel out? Or is the toughness unavoidable?

[lojasmo]

35. you're talking about skeletal muscle

Which is different than cardiac muscle. IN a muscle wasting disease (like MD) the skeletal muscles waste, but cardiac and smooth muscles do not. It is unknown whether the treatment will reverse a wasting disease, but It is my belief that the CARDIAC (heart) muscle will grow too big and will eventually lead to heart failure and death in this scenario.

[JayS]

36. Thank you for the information. I hope some smart scientist out...

...there quickly figures out a way to get the best of both worlds. Diseases that strike adults are bad, but those that strike children......

[TahitiNut]

28. Quick! Elect him Governor of California.

:eyes: