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There are mice in Lee Sweeney's laboratory. Cute-looking mice with little ears, tails, fur. Some are black, some white. At first glance, they look like regular mice.
Look again.
Some are beefier than others. Their shoulders and legs ripple with muscle, as much as 40 percent more than normal mice, and they outweigh the others by half. They look like they're on steroids. But they're not.
The mice were genetically engineered in Sweeney's lab at the University of Pennsylvania. The purpose of the experiments: to produce extra muscle. The mice represent hope - for the elderly whose weakening muscles place them in increasing danger of falling as they age, for people suffering the crippling effects of muscle-wasting diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Members of both groups write often and beg Sweeney to let them be his next subjects.
But the majority of those seeking Sweeney's muscles are among the healthiest people on the planet. They come from the world of sports.
In the six years since he published his first set of results, Sweeney has received an average of three...
Look again.
Some are beefier than others. Their shoulders and legs ripple with muscle, as much as 40 percent more than normal mice, and they outweigh the others by half. They look like they're on steroids. But they're not.
The mice were genetically engineered in Sweeney's lab at the University of Pennsylvania. The purpose of the experiments: to produce extra muscle. The mice represent hope - for the elderly whose weakening muscles place them in increasing danger of falling as they age, for people suffering the crippling effects of muscle-wasting diseases such as muscular dystrophy. Members of both groups write often and beg Sweeney to let them be his next subjects.
But the majority of those seeking Sweeney's muscles are among the healthiest people on the planet. They come from the world of sports.
In the six years since he published his first set of results, Sweeney has received an average of three...