Macrophage immune cells in the skin can capture pigments from tattoos and hold them in place, causing tattoos to persist even after new macrophages move in to deal with the contaminants:
[...] That's what French scientists observed from studying tatted mice. In their model of tattoo persistence [open, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20171608] [DX], published Tuesday in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, macrophages — immune cells that ingest foreign or unhealthy debris in the body — play a starring role. Targeting these cells, the authors suggested, might help improve tattoo removal procedures for people.
As a tattoo is given, macrophages descend to capture invading ink. Probably because the ink granules are too bulky for the microscopic Pac-Mans to break down, they hold onto the pigment, your body art shining through their bellies.
With time, these original macrophages die and release their pigments, which get vacuumed up by new macrophages, starting the cycle over, said Sandrine Henri, a researcher at the Immunology Center of Marseille-Luminy who led the study with her colleague Bernard Malissen.
[...] Jared Jagdeo, a dermatologist at the University of California, Davis, has also wondered whether macrophages impede tattoo removal by reabsorbing lasered ink particles. Since 2014, he has performed a laser removal procedure that uses anti-inflammatory ointment to suppress macrophages. "It makes a difference," he said, noting that he often removes tattoos in 10 or fewer treatments [instead of 20].
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:09AM (7 children)
Love it when resources get directed towards such urgent and noble goals. Capitalism at work!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:19AM (4 children)
You cannot know whether the techniques described may prove to be useful for other things, any more than you can predict the future. Your attitude is shared by tjose who would defund pure research since it has no obvious application. Fortunately for the world, short-sighted dolts like you are not in control of the funding for all research.
What I really mean is, you're a dumb shit and you should shut the fuck up with your cretinistic keyboard farts which are worth far less than a genuine anal fart.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @07:35AM (2 children)
If you stop raving for a moment you might notice that this is the opposite of pure research you silly goose.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @06:08PM (1 child)
You missed the point, you dumb shit.
The point is that other uses for the knowledge about macrophages may become apparent in the future. And that makes it rather similar to pure research, in which
important uses for the fruits of the research may not be apparent until time passes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @08:43PM
You got tourette's or something? Also, no need for random CRLFs it's done automagically for you.
By that token they might as well research some field that makes sense from the get go...
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @10:45AM
He's not wrong though. Capitalism optimizes for zero research, and 100% rent-seeking on existing property.
That's why software patents should be abolished, and copyright slashed right back to 14 years at most. Publicly hang all the copyright lawyers by their bollocks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @03:21PM (1 child)
And what earth shattering, society advancing work do you do, AC?
Just something that pays the bills, eh?
Hypocrite.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @08:40PM
I'm a student of environmental science and sustainable development. I thought that if I'm going to work for decades, I might as well do something that has a positive impact.