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Tattoo ink does not normally cause an
immune response. Macrophages (white
blood cells) can dissolve nearly anything in
the body, from a virus to a (relatively)
enormous splinter, given enough time.
This fact can be taken advantage of to
produce easy-to-remove tattoos....
Simply produce
special ink (nanoparticles,
perhaps) in which every pigment particle
has a specific protein signature not found
in nature. Once injected, the ink will
remain inert as usual. However, if the
tattoo is to be removed, antibodies
directing the body's macrophages to
degrade and absorb the tattoo ink can be
injected with minor discomfort. In a few
days, the tattoo disappears (perhaps you
blow multicoloured mucus or have black
urine for a short time).
As I see it, this could lead to temporary
real tattoos (ones that have a protein
signature of, say, influenza...the ink would
dissolve in a few days or weeks
dependong on how good your immune
system was).
It's also possible that, since the ink would
be semi-organic, it would be assimilated
by a naturally occurring virus and create a
new strain of disease that produces
random ink patterns in all its victims.
Pretty cool, if you ask me.
Microencapsulation of tattoo ink
http://www.freedom2inc.com/bodyart.html
as per TD3's annotation [bonkers777, Feb 16 2009]
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Nice. I've seen the mess left behind by lazer tattoo removal. |
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Pretty cool if you ask me too, and just think you could get tattoo-noculated. |
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A similar idea a while back was called the "10 year tattoo." There is existing technology that can be adapted to the idea; I'll attach my annotation from the earlier post. I'll tell you exactly how to do it. The key is a process called microencapsulation. This is already widely used in the pharmeceutical and beauty product industries for products as diverse as time delay medicines and scratch & sniff adverts. |
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You need biolabile - destructible dyes, possibly plant derivatives or synthetic, instead of insoluble mineral pigments such as carbon and mercuric sulfide, currently used in tattooing. |
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The dyes, which will be rapidly decolorized once released, are microencapsulated in a resistant, carefully designed material. This would be made from synthetic or semi synthetic polymers, as are presently employed for dissolving sutures. |
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By modifying the polymer microcapsules' composition, relatively predictable absorbtion times should be possible. For example, partially fluorinating the polymer, or cross-linking it will make it more durable. Having hydroxyls, for example will make it more attackable. |
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Now, these materials would idealy be tested for severity of foreign body reacton - carcinogenicity potentiall, etc., hopefully no more than present tattoo inks and implantable materials. |
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Basically the microcapsules would deteriorate slowly for a number of years, but the colors would not be yet affected. Then once the microcapsules are ruptured, the color would fade rapidly as the WBC's attack the biolabile ink. |
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Tell us again how the macrophages operate outside blood vessels..... |
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If the tattoo pigment were antigenic enough that you could raise antibodies against it, I think the body would raise antibodies against it. Esepcially if it were not found in nature. This would be a temporary tattoo, to be sure. |
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[Consul] - Macrophages operate outside blood vessels by leaving the blood vessels and migrating to the area they are needed. |
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For the bizarro finale with the random ink virus, I bestow my bread. |
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They do say that a lot of appearance and behaviour is down to a genetic need to prove to a potential mate that you have a great immune system and therefore would provide good genes for the children. Personally I suspect that this is what biologists say when they can't think of a good answer, but it would be much easier if you could just check out the tattoos. 'Flu - check. Measles - check. Syphilis... darling, where did you put your syphilis tattoo? Oh. |
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