in 2013 Sergio Canavero has announced that it intends to perform a transplantation of the head, took it like a madman. But the Italian doctor has found partners willing to participate in this event. And – most importantly – voluntary: the patient nieobawiającego risk. In 2015, announced that the date of surgery is scheduled. The operation will take place in December 2017.
the Operation on transplantation of a human head (although should rather talk about the transplantation of the whole body, because the owner of the head biorcą) is something no one has done. They tried to instill in the heads of animals, but these tests even with a high dose of goodwill can hardly be considered successfully completed. Animals lived long, and not odzyskiwały control over others – new – body. The problem is the re-alignment of the spinal cord, along which impulses flow from the brain.
Glue for nerves
But Canavero says that he found a way. In “Surgical Neurology International” appeared a series of articles Canavero and his colleagues from USA and South Korea. describing promising experiments with animals like mice, rats, and dogs. They all have a common denominator – the use of so-called ethylene-polypropylene (PEG). It should act as a glue for nerve cells enables their re-connection when the gap resulted from an accident or surgery. Surgeons they’re confident that with such trifles as the connecting of the systems of respiration, blood, bowel; muscle, tendons and skin can handle without problems. The problem, in their opinion, is the spinal cord. Without it connected, the recipient (i.e. head) will not be able to control the body.
C-young Kim from Konkuk University, in Seoul, working closely with Canavero, did an experiment with 16 mice. Just cut the cord is the equivalent of cutting off the head. Half zaaplikował PEG at the break, and in the middle of an inert saline solution. A month later, five of the eight mice receiving regained the ability weak of limb movement. Three fell as everyone in the management group.
Another experiment was conducted on ten rats. At this time, Koreans used American invention: PEG enriched grafenowe nanowłókna. The idea is that they should facilitate the transmission of electrical signals.
Grafenowe tape is the idea of a team of James Toura from rice University. – My motivation is the desire to fix the spinal cord, says the magazine “New Scientist” Tour. But if someone is working on the transplantation of the head, this is also something like this would need.
the Rats also stopped the kernel of the spine – half received PEG with grafenem, half inert solution. After two days one of the rats began to move his legs. After a week he became, but he had a problem with balance, after two weeks he himself to walk, stand on hind legs and eat.
– What about the others? Here the problems begin. Unknown flooded the lab, killing four untreated rats. There were also all the animals in the control group.
witch doctor
Finally, the last experiment. The Koreans cut the spinal cord of the dog. But not all of them, but “90 percent” – as described in the “Surgical Neurology International”. Thanks klejowi PEG zaaplikowanemu at the site of injury the dog after three days he began to move his legs. After two weeks could move the front, but the back and paralyzed, was pulling for him. In the third week he became. Koreans claim that the dog was then able to grasp objects and wagging his tail. In this study was not a control group.
Is similar to the early experiment Canavero and his colleagues, transplantation of a monkey’s head. The animal lived only 20 minutes after the surgery, which did not prevent the surgeons to inform the world of success.
Scientists have commented on the efforts Canavero and his Korean colleagues do not leave them on dry skin. Responding to a question about “New Scientist” Arthur Caplan, an ethicist from the University of new York, says that the attempt to transplant a human head is premature. These studies suggest that some three to four years after recovery of the spinal cord in humans. This means that seven or eight years from the transplantation of the head,” says Kaplan.
so says neuroscientist Jerry Silver from Case Western Reserve University. – The case of the dog-this is not a study but a description of the specific case. If there is no control group, there is little that can be said. Claim that have crossed 90%. – but instead the evidence seemed some terrible pictures, ” says silver. The same applies to another experiment of the Koreans. In such articles, do not write that four of the five rats drowned. Starts again with a larger group – outraged scientist.
the Dream of the severed head
Not smaller disputes relate to other employees Sergia Canavero. The procedure should not be carried out in one of the famous clinics, but at the Vietnamese-German Hospital in Hanoi. To help is likely to be Ren Xiaoping, a Chinese surgeon who boasts that he and przyszył head 1000 mice. None survived longer than a few minutes.
Even the coolest critic will not prevent, however, the patient. This 31-year-old Russian Valery Spirydonow. Suffer from a rare genetic disease, the character of the fluid of the disappearance of the muscle – the so-called syndrome Werdniga-Hoffman. It is a disorder of transmission of impulses from the Central nervous system to the muscles. Over time, the muscles die off, which hampers not only the movement, but even swallowing and breathing. The disease has no cure, and most patients do not survive to age Spirydonowa.
– the Only thing I have is a nice look. Like I’ve spent my life preparing for something important in my life, and now it’s starting to happen, ” said the other patient.
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