Scientists can now take bone cells from an extracted wisdom tooth, grow them on a scaffold in a lab and form new bone. Great breakthrough for medicine, right? Wonderful for people who need bone grafts, reconstructive surgery, or...wedding rings?????
Yes, wedding rings. In an odd mix of science and art, or perhaps a twisted attempt to popularize science, the developers of this technique are using it to make wedding rings out of a person's bone tissue grown in the lab from their wisdom tooth. And some couples are exchanging rings made of their own bone at their weddings. From BBC News:
Scientists obtain bone cells from wisdom teeth and then grow them on a "scaffold" material in the lab.
The efforts are part of a collaboration between scientists and artists aiming to learn how to craft complex shapes from bone tissue.
Examples are to go on display at an exhibition at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London.
Harriet Harriss and Matt Harrison, one of five couples involved in the project, have just been presented with their rings made from their bone cells.
Not sure what I think of that. Really, part of me thinks it neat, but mostly it creeps me out. Maybe I am just a traditionalist, but gold seems fine to me for a wedding ring. Mine happens to combine three kinds of gold--red, yellow and white--layered using a similar technique that samurai sword makers use to make swords, made by a Greek artisan. My wife has a wedding ring of platinum in a nice vine motif also made by a (different) Greek artisan. For those who live in NYC, we shopped long and hard for nice rings and finally settled on The Clay Pot in Park Slope. Their diamonds were the only ones aside from the MUCH more expensive Tiffany's that are cut to maximize brilliance rather than size, and the settings are unique, made by actual craftsmen rather than mass produced. Our rings were assessed for insurance purposes as considerably more than we paid for them.
Later in the article they actually get to some real science:
Eventually, the technique could be used to grow large bits of bone for people with cancer or who need bone replacements.
"This will improve the welfare of the patient as you won't need to harvest bone from elsewhere in the body," explained Dr Ian Thompson, a research fellow in oral and maxillofacial surgery at King's College who is the scientist on the project.
"So if you have damaged a part of your jaw, you won't need to take a piece of the rib or somewhere else in the body to replace that bit of damaged bone we would simply grow that new piece in the laboratory and then implant it."
Dr Thompson says he thinks it will be used in clinical practice, but not in his lifetime.
For those who want more info, here is the company's website.
My wife points out that there is a technique to use high pressure to actually turn a corpse (presumably after cremation to ash, i.e. carbon) into diamond. I can't track that down, but if true you could have your mortal remains turned into a diamond and set into a ring made of your own bone...very strange! How's THAT for a family heirloom?
This all led me to recollect some interesting stuff on a topic that makes many uncomfortable. Not so much death, which is one whole psychological and philosophical can of worms of its own. But what to do with what's left of a person after death, that uncomfortable thing called a "corpse." It has been a number of years now, but my wife and I did have some occasion to look into the myriad of ways that people in the modern world can dispose of themselves or their relatives. And as far as I am aware, the ancient Zoroastrian method of disposal by exposure on raised platforms for carrion birds to pick clean is not available. So much for tradition!
For those who are really interested, there is a great book on this subject called Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach which I actually quite recommend for anyone who isn't too squeamish. MANY interesting things...and some disturbing ones.
In addition to cremation and simple burial, there are two particularly interesting new ways you can have your corpse disposed of. First, you can have your DNA incorporated into the genome of a tree which can then be grown, perpetuating your genes in an odd sort of way. For those who only know about animal genetics this might seem odd since excess chromosomes lead to horrible abnormalities in animals. But plants are not so particular. In plants, many kinds of hybrids which incorporate the entire genomes of two or more parent species (called polyploidy) are known, including the wheat we normally consume as well as many other food crops. So it really isn't so hard for a plant to take up human chromosomes and reproduce them in their own tissues as they grow. I suspect that chromosomes would be randomly lost over time, but it is an odd way to find a measure of immortality. Sadly, this is another method of disposal my wife remembers coming across that I can't now track down.
But wait! For the ultimate in ecological disposal (or that gardener who just can't stop their hobby even after death) you can also have your corpse composted. A company in Sweden is perfecting the technique of composting human corpses for ecological disposal. From their website:
"The method is based upon preserving the body in a biological form after death, while avoiding harmful embalming fluid. Then it can be returned to the ecological cycle in a dignified manner as a valuable contribution to the living earth," explains Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, biologist and head of operations at Promessa Organic AB.
An important part of the solution is to remove that which is least important; the water that makes up 70 percent of a normal-sized body. Technically speaking, this is done using an entirely closed individual process in which the corpse is freeze-dried in liquid nitrogen.
Within a week and a half after death, the corpse is frozen to minus 18 degrees Celsius and then submerged in liquid nitrogen. This makes the body very brittle, and vibration of a specific amplitude transforms it into an organic powder that is then introduced into a vacuum chamber where the water is evaporated away.
The now dry powder then passes through a metal separator where any surgical spare parts and mercury are removed. In a similar way, the powder can be disinfected if required. The remains are now ready to be laid in a coffin made of corn starch. There is no hurry with the burial itself. The organic powder, which is hygienic and odorless, does not decompose when kept dry. The burial takes place in a shallow grave in living soil that turns the coffin and its contents into compost in about 6-12 months time. In conjunction with the burial and in accordance with the wishes of the deceased or next of kin, a bush or tree can be planted above the coffin. The compost formed can then be taken up by the plant, which can instill greater insight in and respect for the ecological cycle, of which every living thing is a part. The plant stands as a symbol of the person, and we understand where the body went.
"Our ecological burial reduces environmental impact on some of our most important resources; our water, air and soil," says Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, biologist and head of Promessa Organic AB. "At the same time it provides us with deeper insights regarding the ecological cycle, and greater understanding of and respect for life on earth."
So, if you have your DNA incorporated into a tree, your composted body can be used to nourish it. There's something very satisfyingly karmic about that, not to mention you will be contributing just a tiny bit to sequestering carbon dioxide from the air, helping in that tiny way to allevaite global warming.
Others are doing more low tech versions of the same thing: disposal by natural burial, returning the corpse to the ecosystem. This is called "Green Burial." Rather than referring to what many of us would love to do with the Green Party, it refers to cemeteries where bodies are allowed to go back into the soil to nourish forests. From their website:
Natural burial grounds are also known as a woodland cemetery, an eco-cemetery, a memorial nature preserve, or a green burial ground. This growing modern burial practice is an environmentally responsible option that is often significantly less expensive than conventional burial practices.
With a natural burial, the body is returned to nature in a biodegradable coffin or shroud. Native vegetation (often a memorial tree) is planted over or near the grave in place of a conventional cemetery monument. The resulting green space establishes a living memorial and forms a protected wildlife preserve.
A natural burial provides us the opportunity to give back something to the planet and in a sense, live forever. As a cemetery, the green space created is protected in perpetuity from the pressures of modern day development. Our family, friends, and future generations will all benefit from the contribution that we can make in death.
This type of burial practice is very popular in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe but has yet to gain momentum in North America.
And to find a Green Cemetery, go here.
Personally my preferences vary for how I want myself disposed of. I would be happy to have a green burial or be donated to science or for use in organ transplants. Scientific uses and transplants really need more of us to give of ourselves, quite literally. To donate to transplants, you can register when you get a driver's licence. Interesting connection they make there: driving/organ donation. Says something. Of course the best source of donated organs are motorcyclists who don't wear helmets. I kid you not. If you don't wear a helmet, there is a pretty good chance your organs will one day be perfect for transplantation, stored nicely in your brain dead body. I have much worse stories from doctors who worked on wards for the brain dead, which are mostly filled from such foolish cyclists.
To donate your body to science, it is best to plan ahead. You can find out how here.
My more evil preference for disposal of my body is that I want to be cremated and have my ashes thrown on someone I don't like. To me it is the ultimate kind of revenge. I'd put Dick Cheney at the top of my list for desired targets, though I do hope I outlive him. Which would mean having to change my target eventually.
My wife likes to say she wants her ashes to be made into a kitschy snow globe, but more likely she would prefer cremation and a biodegradable "Ocean urn."
Of course it is always best to include your preferences in your will...and, to keep the Republican vultures off your brain dead corpse should Terry Sheivo's fate befall you, have a living will saying whether or not you want to be unplugged if brain dead.
And for those who made it through all of these rambling, morose musings, have a nice weekend.
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