Controversial experiment. Transplanted a rat’s head into the body of another rat

Research on head transplantation has been going on for a long time. The first animal experiments, about whichóhe public was informed, was carried out in the 1950s. last century. Currently, the most famous scientist (although someóers call him crazy) associated with the procedure is Italian-born Professor Sergio Canavero, whoóry later this year intends to perform head transplantation in humans.

Behind the head transplant in ratów also stands Canavero, któremu together with a team of Chinese scientistsóIn doing so, it was possible to avoid damage to the móof the tumor associated with blood loss. The head of the smaller rat was transplanted into the larger one. It was created in this wayób two-headed rat.

For the operation of the complexół surgeonów used three rats. The recipient rat received an extra head, the donor rat, whichórego head went to the shoulders of a colleague, and a third rodent, whichóry ensured blood flow to the donor’s head, so that mózg has not been damaged.

After the operation, scientists examined the mózg transplanted rat’s head using EEG, whichóre showed normal mózgu. Which means that mózg did not suffer damage during the operation. The two-headed rat did not live long, but scientists were aware of this. There are still many technical and scientific issues które needs to be solved before proceeding with human surgery.

The operation is, however, a significant step forwardód in head transplantationów. The goal of this experiment was simple: the researchers wanted to see if they could successfully transplant a head without damaging the mózg due to excessive blood loss. And the goal was achieved.

According to Canavero, it is worthwhile to conduct head transplantation experimentsów. They can pomóc in the future for millions of waspsób, whichór to whom the body refuses to obey or to those suffering from fatal diseases. However, its opponents note that the problems associated with transplanting human headsów go beyond scientific and technical problems and touch on the fundamental nature of the human psyche.

Dr. Frankenstein, as that is the nickname Professor Canavero has earned for himself, wants to perform a head transplant in a human in December. He was volunteered last year. He is a sufferer of incurable spinal muscular atrophy, Russian computer scientist Valery Spiridonov, for whom theórego surgery may be the only chance for survival. Of course, if successful. It was Spiridonov who was to be operated on later this year, but Canavero announced that the first head transplant will be performed on a Chinese citizen.

– There are many candidatesów. We have a sizable number of submissions from around the world. The final decision will be made immediately before the operation, as it depends róAlso from a body donor, whichóry must be in many waysów consistent with the recipient – said Canavero.

Canavero had already performed similar operations on animals before. Dogs or monkeys have come under his scalpel, które swapped heads. Someóre animals, the controversial professor claimed, lived for more than 20 hours after the head transplant.

The Italian’s intentions were met with huge criticism from the scientific community. When he first announced his intention to transplant a human head, Hunt Batjer, head of the American Association for Neurological Surgeons, stated that „There are many things worse than death” and that he would never allow it. Along with serious ethical problems, whichóre carried by such an operation, many osób claims that the Canavero technique will not work and there is insufficient evidenceów on that the operation would be successful.