The dawn of the Frankenstein(s)?

[Beelzebub]

Head transplant team reports success in rats
Sergio Canavero and his team, who plan to carry out the first head transplant later this year, say they have successfully repaired severed spinal cords in rats, using the proposed technique.

Italian neurosurgeon Canavero has drawn widespread criticism since announcing plans to perform the first human head transplant. The controversial procedure is due to take place in December.

https://www.univadis.co.uk/viewarti...eng-gb_20170113&utm_content=1472515&utm_term=

 

[Beelzebub]

Here is the paper published in CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cns.12713/full

 

[Quantum Velocity]

and what do you want to ask?

 

[Beelzebub]

Well about the plausability of it becoming real.

 

[BillTre]

A head transplant would be much more complex than merely recovering from a spinal cord transection.
Besides recovering the connections going up and down the spinal cord, there would also be matching up and recovering function of the peripheral nerves, the vasculature, and many structural features like muscle, tendons, ligaments, esophagus, etc.
These would all have to work for a reasonably independent existence.

 

[berkeman]

Head transplant team reports success in rats
Sergio Canavero and his team, who plan to carry out the first head transplant later this year, say they have successfully repaired severed spinal cords in rats, using the proposed technique.

Italian neurosurgeon Canavero has drawn widespread criticism since announcing plans to perform the first human head transplant. The controversial procedure is due to take place in December.

https://www.univadis.co.uk/viewarticle/head-transplant-team-reports-success-in-rats-527564?u=g7Nnk16ewgu1y4qX2NVC+6BGJQ08OW4R4npnBJfJd2jYXQqBLO/p6zFISyuft9z8&utm_source=adhoc email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=adhoc_bestofweek_email_generalmedicine_eng-gb_20170113&utm_content=1472515&utm_term=

Here is the paper published in CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cns.12713/full

The paper is about experimenting with repairing spinal cord transection, not about head transplants.

Conclusions

We show for the first time in an adequately powered study that the paralysis attendant to a complete transection of the spinal cord can be reversed. This opens the path to a severance-reapposition cure of spinal paralysis, in which the injured segment is excised and the two stumps approximated after vertebrectomy/diskectomies.

As @BillTre says, there is a lot more involved in any attempts at a head transplant.

Thread closed temporarily for Moderation...

 

[berkeman]

Thread re-opened.

 

[Quantum Velocity]

Well about the plausability of it becoming real.

It won't (it have problem just like the clone) (people won't like it)

 

[jim mcnamara]

This topic is very near the edge of acceptable for PF - I'm not competent to say it is completely impossible. The Frankenstein hyperbole in the thread title is not really acceptable, but let's let it pass for a while. If the thread goes off the deep end it gets deleted.

 

[jim mcnamara]

From the news link you posted:

Italian neurosurgeon Canavero has drawn widespread criticism since announcing plans to perform the first human head transplant. The controversial procedure is due to take place in December.

Science is not about headlines.

 

[rbelli1]

Science is not about headlines.

No pun intended right?

From the point of view of the patient wouldn't this be a body transplant?

BoB

 

[jim mcnamara]

I did not see that... Oops.

 

[berkeman]

Me neither, LOL.

 

[BillTre]

From the point of view of the patient wouldn't this be a body transplant?

Depends on which patient.
However, a patient without a head probably does not have much of a viewpoint, I guess.

 

[rbelli1]

However, a patient without a head probably does not have much of a viewpoint, I guess.

I would hope by that time the moniker "patient" no longer really applies to the body donor.

BoB