Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Possibility Of First Head Transplant Fraught With Ethical And Medical Dilemmas
www.medicalnewstoday.com ^ | 05 July 2013 | Written by Honor Whiteman

Posted on 08/01/2013 7:56:05 AM PDT by Red Badger

A leading neurosurgeon has revealed a project to carry out the first human head transplantation with spinal linkage within the next two years. The project is code-named HEAVEN/GEMINI.

Published in the June issue of Surgical Neurology International, the project has been outlined by Italian neuroscientist and functional neurosurgeon, Dr. Sergio Canavero. He says the procedure would take 100 surgeons 36 hours to complete, and would cost around £8.5 million ($12.6 million).

In 1970, US neurosurgeon Robert Joseph White performed an operation to transplant a monkey's head onto another monkey's body. However, the inability to repair the severed spinal cord due to lack of required technology proved a problem, and the monkey was left paralyzed, passing away days later.

But Canavero believes today's technology will overcome this hurdle and refers to previous studies in which scientist have reconnected spinal cords to rats. Canavero explains that the transplant will work if surgeons can successfully link the spinal cord to the head by fusing severed axons, the nerve cells that transmit information to different neurons, muscles and glands.

In the paper, Canavero explains:

"The greatest technical hurdle to such endeavor is of course the reconnection of the donor's and recipient's spinal cords. It is my contention that the technology only now exists for such linkage."

He explains that cut axons can be reconstituted using molecules such as poly-ethylene glycol (PEG), used in many areas ranging from industrial manufacturing to pharmaceutical products. Another molecule that can be used is chitosan.

The surgery would involve putting the recipient's head into a "hypothermia mode" for around 45 minutes between 12°C and 15°C (the HEAVEN process). It is thought that this time frame would create virtually no neurological damage.

The GEMINI procedure would involve surgeons cutting the cooled spinal cords with an "ultra-sharp blade," before reconnecting the recipient's head to the donor body. In the paper, Canavero explains that this clean cut is the key to spinal cord fusion, as it allows the severed axons to be fused accurately with the molecules.

He explains that what is equally important is that the motorneuronal pools, responsible for the contraction of muscle fibers and skeletal muscle, remain fully intact so they can be engaged by spinal cord stimulation. Canavero says that this is a technique that has proven effective for motor control in patients with spinal injuries.

As the human brain can only survive without oxygen for one hour, the surgeons would have to remove both heads and connect the recipient's head to the circulatory system of the donor body within this time frame.

Canavero says that it is clear the procedure would extend some patients' lives and would be far-reaching. However, he says that a select group of gravely ill individuals would be the target, such as people with muscular dystrophies.

But he cautions that as the procedure is deployed within the clinical area, it needs proper regulation. He adds that a risk could develop whereby people with adequate funds try to secure the bodies of healthy young individuals on the black market and have them transplanted by dishonest surgeons - something he says needs to be addressed by society.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: health; medicine; transplant
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last
To: yldstrk

Do you think that if Stalin, Mao, Hitler, or the late Kim Jong Il could have used this, they would give a rat’s rear end about ‘regulations’?.......


21 posted on 08/01/2013 8:09:11 AM PDT by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name......Want to have fun? Google your friend's names........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: yldstrk
The other thing is, transferring say Stalin’s head to a new body, which could allow for super bad guys to live a lot longer


22 posted on 08/01/2013 8:09:11 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (This message has been recorded but not approved by Obama's StasiNet. Read it at your peril.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio

bttt


23 posted on 08/01/2013 8:10:16 AM PDT by ConservativeMan55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

well Red you got a point there, I am sure that Kim Young One in North Korea is watching this development with bated breath ready to scoop up the technology to get himself a new body when the old one craps out............


24 posted on 08/01/2013 8:11:07 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

One of the unintentionally funniest movies ever was about a failed head transplant gone wrong. (The host woke up early.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWHNA_j7h5A


25 posted on 08/01/2013 8:13:06 AM PDT by dangus (Poverty cannot be eradicated as long as the poor remain dependent on the state - Pope Francis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yldstrk

The problem is where you get the body.
What if the current user isn’t quite finished with it yet?.......


26 posted on 08/01/2013 8:14:14 AM PDT by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name......Want to have fun? Google your friend's names........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

27 posted on 08/01/2013 8:14:31 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (</sarcasm>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

No body is getting my head-get it no body.:)


28 posted on 08/01/2013 8:14:58 AM PDT by fatima (Free Hugs Today :))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Kim Young One will probably pick out one with a sixpack, a bout 6 feet tall and simply have him kidnapped....


29 posted on 08/01/2013 8:15:46 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: mbarker12474
This has already been done. First by Doctor Victor in the early 19th century. Later by his great-great-great grandon Dr. Wilder in the late 20th century.

They tried it with Pelosi and Biden...

....the problem is that they forgot the brain in both cases.

30 posted on 08/01/2013 8:16:01 AM PDT by PATRIOT1876 (The only crimes that are 100% preventable are crimes committed by illegal aliens)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

And you won't be angry?

I will *not* be angry!

31 posted on 08/01/2013 8:16:13 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (If Obama Had A City It Would Look Like Detroit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fatima

http://instantrimshot.com/


32 posted on 08/01/2013 8:18:31 AM PDT by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name......Want to have fun? Google your friend's names........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: yldstrk

Anthony Weiner would pick one with........oh, well, never mind.....


33 posted on 08/01/2013 8:20:06 AM PDT by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name......Want to have fun? Google your friend's names........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: yldstrk

If it ever becomes truly viable, look for the death penalty to be applied for less serious crimes. Once voters realize they can vote for longer lives at the expense of the convicted and executed, young men and women’s bodies will become valuable resources.

Hopefully synthetic organs or self-cloned organs will come along before human-human transplant technology and technique becomes so perfect that it becomes a temptation to kill humans to extend the life of other humans.

FReegards


34 posted on 08/01/2013 8:20:10 AM PDT by Ransomed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Once you ahead stay a head.Hehehehhehe


35 posted on 08/01/2013 8:21:17 AM PDT by fatima (Free Hugs Today :))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Anthony does need a head trasplant


36 posted on 08/01/2013 8:21:30 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: fatima

cue Van Halen:

“Oh IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ain’t got no body”

Boz-de-boz-de-bop, titty-bop


37 posted on 08/01/2013 8:22:29 AM PDT by Mr. K (Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics, and then Democrat Talking Points.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

Heheheheheh


38 posted on 08/01/2013 8:25:37 AM PDT by fatima (Free Hugs Today :))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
"The problem is where you get the body. What if the current user isn’t quite finished with it yet?......."

The Muslim medical supply house stands ready to provide any quantities necessary.

39 posted on 08/01/2013 8:26:09 AM PDT by Truth29
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
"The greatest technical hurdle to such endeavor is of course the reconnection of the donor's and recipient's spinal cords. It is my contention that the technology only now exists for such linkage."

They should focus on connecting the spinal cords of paralysis victims, and when they're able to reconnect the head of a quadriplegic to his own body, only then should they start swapping heads.
40 posted on 08/01/2013 8:27:14 AM PDT by Colinsky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson