So this has been bugging me ever since I found out about stem cell research and stuff. Basically, you could use stem cells to create new organs needed if certain ones fail, right? Well, I don't claim to know anything other than that about stem cells, but could you, in theory, use them to make sex organs such as ovaries and a uterus for MtFs who wish to get that surgery, or testicles and a penis for FtMs who wish for those? Just a random idea that kept crossing my mind for the past half a year, sorry if it's stupid.
The thing about stem cells is that they are not what they seem to be from the media. There are more types of stem cells and most of them cannot differentiate in absolutely any cell (the only type that can must be harvested until the embryo has reached 16 cells and that cell can create a whole new embryo) . Currently, stem cells are only used in experiments and trials. They have tried to use them in different disorders and were most succesfull in leukemia (but not succesfull, just that there has been some improvement there). Creating full organs from stem cells is far from happening, sorry. There are still other posibilities
It is theoretically possible, but we've yet to truly succeed in harassing the power of stem cells. What we could do is clone you, but either deprive or add androgen causing the clone to develop male or female genitalia, and then harvest the clone. It would be unethical, but possible. Best bet would be a transplant, although idk of any doctors that would do that kind of thing, because it wouldn't be deemed necessary. One day science will get it right... one day.
*grabs butt of stem cells* get over here, sweet cheeks. Sorry, auto correct screwed that sentence up, harassing instead of harnessing. xD ... unless it wasn't auto correct.
What is far more likely to happen eventually is that we will craft a virus that flips off a few genes and turns your gonads into the other set, One gene keeps Mickey from turning into Minnie - Not Exactly Rocket Science : Not Exactly Rocket Science
Hahaha harnessing* ---------- Post added 4th Jun 2015 at 12:11 AM ---------- We could do that to assign sex to a fetus, but that wouldn't really help post-natally. You can't change your gonads like that, but you could create a virus that would replace HRT so you'd get it once and then you'd produce your own hormones for the rest of your life.
