Surgeons Conduct Head Transplants on Rats, Say Humans Are Next

After 14 head transplants on rats, a pair of surgeons say they will attempt a human head transplant in the next 10 months in China.

by Eva Hershaw

Chinese scientists have transplanted the head of a donor rat onto the back of a host body, creating an equally garish and impressive two-headed rat that may offer insights into the viability of an eventual human head transplant.

The process, which was done by way of a rat triad, which included a donor, recipient, and blood supply rat, provided a continuous blood supply to the donor brain throughout the transplant, avoiding brain tissue hypothermia — a condition where the brain suffers in absence of a blood supply. The problem has long been one of the major barriers to carrying out a successful head transplant in animal specimens.

Disponível em: <https://www.seeker.com/health/medicine/surgeons-conduct-head-transplants-on-rats-sayhumans-are-next>. Acesso em: 23 abr. 2017.