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The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

lesswrong.com

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Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#11

Post by colechristensen »

Teever wrote: post #2

> Lastly, the stem cells we're planning to use to make these eggs accrue mutations with age, and we don't currently have a good method to fix these before making them into eggs. These mutations will bring additional risk of various serious diseases, only some of which we currently have the genetic screening to detect. I've always found this one fascinating. Somehow human cells age and humans get old and die but human…

There are a bunch of mechanisms in sperm/eggs for better protection/repair/removal by suicide than in any other tissue. It makes sense that these evolved to be the best in these cells compared to any other. Also other tissues might have significantly worse problems having cells kill themselves instead of continuing to operate with a corrupted genome.

Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#12

Post by the_real_cher »

jokowueu wrote: post #10
the_real_cher wrote: post #9

It's wild that in the year 2026 modern science can't recreate a SINGLE cell (which is what a human egg/ovum is).

it's possible to convert stem cells or skin cells into functional egg cells (ova) in lab settings, though the technology remains experimental and not yet ready for routine clinical use

I'm always reading about amazing stuff like this with modern medicine. Things that work great in lab settings: cures for cancer, organ scaffolding, regrowing teeth, etc etc.

Never hear about it again after the initial news.

Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#14

Post by arjie »

the_real_cher wrote: post #9

It's wild that in the year 2026 modern science can't recreate a SINGLE cell (which is what a human egg/ovum is).

Well, that seems a bit reductive because nothing can create a single cell right now. All cells are self-copied-and-divided. Omnis cellula e cellula, as they say. There is no cell constructor anywhere. Both Nature and Artifice use the same device to make more cells: a previous cell.

Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#15

Post by xyzzy_plugh »

strangefellow wrote: post #5
Teever wrote: post #2

> Lastly, the stem cells we're planning to use to make these eggs accrue mutations with age, and we don't currently have a good method to fix these before making them into eggs. These mutations will bring additional risk of various serious diseases, only some of which we currently have the genetic screening to detect. I've always found this one fascinating. Somehow human cells age and humans get old and die but human…

I don't know anything about this subject, but I thought it was just natural selection that effectively filtered out the 'bad eggs', as it were. On that same note, I've worried about the effects that modern medicine might have in short-circuiting evolution/natural selection. Would love to hear from someone with qualifications to speak on this matter.

Modern medicine absolutely short-circuits natural selection. If you have an older sibling who was delivered via C-section chances are you wouldn't exist.

Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#16

Post by benlivengood »

the_real_cher wrote: post #9

It's wild that in the year 2026 modern science can't recreate a SINGLE cell (which is what a human egg/ovum is).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_laboratorium describes the closest we've gotten; synthesizing the DNA and swapping it into an existing cell which then propagates the synthetic gene line.

Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#17

Post by shrubble »

xyzzy_plugh wrote: post #15
strangefellow wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know anything about this subject, but I thought it was just natural selection that effectively filtered out the 'bad eggs', as it were. On that same note, I've worried about the effects that modern medicine might have in short-circuiting evolution/natural selection. Would love to hear from someone with qualifications to speak on this matter.

Modern medicine absolutely short-circuits natural selection. If you have an older sibling who was delivered via C-section chances are you wouldn't exist.

That’s not true for the USA however.

The large award for a medical malpractice trial was the reason for doctors pushing for a C-section if there’s any possibility of a complication. (Sometimes called defensive medicine.)

Most people point to the cases won by John Edwards, trial lawyer and vice presidential candidate as the reason for the great increase in C-sections. His case wins include 30 trials at which he won at least $1 million dollars each.

Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#18

Post by njarboe »

the_real_cher wrote: post #12
jokowueu wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's possible to convert stem cells or skin cells into functional egg cells (ova) in lab settings, though the technology remains experimental and not yet ready for routine clinical use

I'm always reading about amazing stuff like this with modern medicine. Things that work great in lab settings: cures for cancer, organ scaffolding, regrowing teeth, etc etc. Never hear about it again after the initial news.

Lots of tech gets discovered, is heavily patented, and then 20 years late,r when that large first round of patents expire, people start working on and developing the tech.

Re: The optimal age to freeze eggs is 19

#19

Post by gopalv »

Teever wrote: post #2

> Lastly, the stem cells we're planning to use to make these eggs accrue mutations with age, and we don't currently have a good method to fix these before making them into eggs. These mutations will bring additional risk of various serious diseases, only some of which we currently have the genetic screening to detect. I've always found this one fascinating. Somehow human cells age and humans get old and die but human…

> Somehow human cells age and humans get old and die but humans can somehow make an entirely new creature through reproduction where that is reset

I think the eggs aren't dividing as you age (you are born with them, so to speak) and the sperm is held "outside" the body.

One is in original packaging and the other is produced in a "cooler" enviroment by the billions with a heavy QA failure of 99.9999%.

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