A genetically modified cow has produced milk containing human insulin, according to a new study. The proof-of-concept achievement could be scaled up to, eventually, produce enough insulin to ensure availability and reduced cost for all diabetics requiring the life-maintaining drug.
  • 4dpuzzle@beehaw.orgEnglish
    12·
    10 months ago

    Let me know if and when this makes insulin cheap enough to afford. If we’re going to continue making big companies richer at the expense of sick people, we might as well not gloat about these achievements.

    And if you’re going to talk about the dependence of price on demand and supply, you’re still not getting it. These companies are masters at creating artificial scarcity by several means including patents and price gouging cartels.

    • NiklzNDimz@beehaw.org
      6·
      10 months ago

      This. This. This.

      We have a reliable means that doesn’t require producing large animals that will, at scale, put more needless pressure on our collapsing ecosystems. Get insulin out of corporate pharmaceuticals and into a basic right to cost-free access model where we, society, fund the production.

    • millie@beehaw.orgEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      It’s still good to know this stuff so we know which labs to raid first when civilization collapses.

    • Malgas@beehaw.orgEnglish
      14·
      10 months ago

      First I misread the headline as “transgender cows” and then you’re in the comments talking about straight people insulin.

      I think it’s time for bed.

    • jarfil@beehaw.org
      6·
      10 months ago

      Selectively breeding and cloning genetically modified humans, is kind of frowned upon…

      • Hirom@beehaw.org
        1·
        9 months ago

        Indeed. I’m thinking of CRISPR/Cas9 which is a genetic editing method, which is more ethical.

        • Lmaydev@programming.dev
          3·
          9 months ago

          Editing genes is incredibly complex. Changes to one gene can affect many seemingly unrelated systems. That’s why they choose their targets very carefully.

          • Hirom@beehaw.org
            3·
            9 months ago

            And it can potentially work only for genetic decease. I’m not sure any type of diabetes would qualify.

            • Lmaydev@programming.dev
              2·
              9 months ago

              Yeah type 1 is an immune response and type 2 is a lack of production.

              So with 2 you could maybe up insulin production genetically. But that seems like a risky game haha