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The Story of the First Human Head Transplant Won't Die (theoutline.com)

Posted by msmash on from the zombie-science dept.

Stories about the first human head transplant operation, supposedly coming in December 2017, are circulating again. From a report on the Outline: But despite what you might have read or seen, humanity is not much closer to transplanting a human head to a new body than we were last year. Sorry to disappoint anyone looking to get their head transplanted. The story is based on the work of one man: Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero. Canavero started making headlines in 2013 with ambitious claims about the process he designed for a transplant of a human head -- as in, moving a healthy human head from a subject with an unhealthy body to an otherwise-healthy, brain-dead donor body. Canavero's claims have been alternately regarded as sensationalist, spurious, and ethically murky. Since then, the doctor has periodically resurfaced in the news. Once, when he found a willing patient in Valery Spiridonov, a Russian man with spinal muscular atrophy in the form of Werdnig-Hoffmann disease; other times when he published papers, including two proof-of-principle studies last year as well as articles reviewing preliminary work on animals relating to his proposed procedure. Though published in the internet-only journal Surgical Neurology International, an important distinction here is that none of these actually involve a successful full transplant of any kind despite his claim to have successfully transplanted a monkey's head. The papers addressing work with animals are, broadly speaking, about treating spinal cord injuries and issues.

66 comments

  1. "Simple" proof by mi · · Score: 1, Redundant

    All the good doctor needs to do to prove his story is hold a joint press-conference with Mr. Spiridonov after the successful operation.

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    1. Re:"Simple" proof by TWX · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Even showing the results of the procedure on an animal would be helpful, assuming that the subject lived long enough to justifiably call it successful.

      I'm no medical man, but aren't there rather severe problems with tissue rejection even when transplanting things as simple as kidneys and other organs? Aren't there also some severe complications rising from the autonomic functions that the brain stem controls in the body? How would the body handle losing that stimulus and regulation?

      Can't remember if it was this good doctor or someone else that had showed a "iiving" head of one animal attached to the body of another animal, but while blood vessels were connected and blood flow to the head was sustained by the beating heart of the body, there was no control of that body by that head and the body instead had to be controlled artificially. The result didn't live long anyway.

      If the good doctor's intentions are indeed above-board then it's noble to want to help people, but what he researches is so niche that it's difficult to see how much benefit would be brought even if the subject survived the procedure and with nerve damage problems we already can't treat, how that patient would be anything more than a head attached to an entirely paralyzed body. Given the number of conditions that could benefit from research, where significant numbers of patients could really see improvements in quality of life in addition to mere survival it seems like his pursuits are at-best misguided. What he proposes reminds me of the discussion in Mel Brooks' film Young Frankenstein when the medical student is arguing with Gene Wilder's character about the reanimation of tissue and Wilder's character responds how the work with kidneys etc are tinker-toys compared to the central nervous system.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    2. Re:"Simple" proof by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't see the use of chopping a head off and sticking it into another body.

      It's like trying to fix your Samsung Galaxy S7's broken screen, camera module and battery by taking the SoC out and putting it into an iPhone. "In theory" it could work, but it's going to be a heck of a mess, both in terms of hardware compatibility and software.

      Why not just find a "compatible donor" (like another S7?), take what you need and slap it into the old one?

      Except, in the case of humans, it is much worse than this because transplant compatibility is a crapshoot. Even a "perfect match" can fail miserably. And then you also need to consider that you already have a mile long list of people waiting for donors for a single organ. Finding a donor for an entire functional body is going to be even worse.

      Research would be better spent trying to either engineer artificial organs or growing new organs from scratch from the patient's cells. This head transplant thing is a stunt. Impressive if it works, if somewhat creepy, but not really useful.

    3. Re: "Simple" proof by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's lots of organs in China, the government wants them they'll take them. Why not just get a new healthy body and pop in your head instead? Seems like a waste of a healthy body otherwise.

    4. Re:"Simple" proof by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That'd be pretty much impossible in any first world country without years of animal testing. But i'd think pulling it off with a monkey would be a good enough proof of concept. If i recall the monkeys only lived a few days and were paralyzed from the neck down the last time someone tried it.

  2. To be fair by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    To be fair, a head transplant involves about the most severe spinal injury possible...

    1. Re:To be fair by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the present methods of repairing the injuries are not exactly fool or apoptosis proof. Lots of basic research is still needed. Regrowing of nerve tissue and controlling it as much as bone is today would be a great help for many.

  3. Don't bother transplanting it by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just put it in a jar - it worked for Nixon.

    1. Re:Don't bother transplanting it by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 1

      It worked for Morbius too. The body transplant, not so much.

    2. Re:Don't bother transplanting it by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 3, Insightful

      All the other Doctors are pale imitations of Tom Baker, and all the other Companions are pale imitations of Elisabeth Slayden.

    3. Re:Don't bother transplanting it by spaceman375 · · Score: 1

      I was rather fond of Lalla Ward (Romana 2).

      --
      On the one hand you take life too seriously, and on the other, you do not take playful existence seriously enough. Seth
    4. Re:Don't bother transplanting it by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 1

      Watch her in City Of Death saying "Bouillabaisse, yum yum" and you'll never take her seriously again. Besides, Mary Tamm was a MUCH better Romana. Now THERE was a girl who could run down a corridor.

    5. Re:Don't bother transplanting it by imidan · · Score: 1

      William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee all wish to have a word. Or, at least they would, if they weren't all dead.

      Although given time travel, I suppose it's possible they were imitating Tom Baker before he was available to be imitated...

    6. Re: Don't bother transplanting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Charleston Chew

    7. Re: Don't bother transplanting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When did this post become an arena for discussing actors?

    8. Re: Don't bother transplanting it by johnsie · · Score: 2

      Wednesday March 29, 2017 @04:07PM

    9. Re: Don't bother transplanting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AROOO!

  4. I Will Fear No Evil by daniel.daugherty · · Score: 2

    Rober Heinlein already wrote this story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    1. Re:I Will Fear No Evil by vux984 · · Score: 1

      Well.. he started out with this story as a premise and it had lots of real hard SF promise about the implications ethical, practical, psychological, both for the transplantee and the people around them... , but then the book mostly ended up just being about fucking everything that moved. Not his best work, and its not the only Heinlein book that fell off the rails like that either.

  5. I think by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the operation should be on pay per view.

  6. Superior tech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Brain-computer interfaces are superior, cheaper, safer, more reliable and offer more flexibility. Case Western literally just published a paper showing a brain-computer interface allowing a quadriplegic arm mobility using his thoughts. (Youtube video in the article too). A head transplant would have to be done within an hour without immune response issues and all of these operations he's done on animals they end up with mobility issues and die after a few days to weeks. Only attractive option for it would be sci-fi live forever scenarios but even then the brain still ages so it's impractical at best.

    1. Re:Superior tech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's with people using "literally" all the time? Is it the '90s again?

    2. Re:Superior tech by s.petry · · Score: 1

      What's with people using "literally" all the time? Is it the '90s again?

      Like, totally!

      Oh wait, that was the 80s.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    3. Re:Superior tech by Imrik · · Score: 1

      I don't mind people using it more frequently. I do mind that people are using it to mean figuratively.

    4. Re:Superior tech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you really need to take some kind of advanced esl course at your local community college, you stupid stupid dipshit. we don't use it to mean figuratively. we use it to mean exaggeration. you should look up what an exaggeration is, and how to use it to get your point across. the figuratively part in this use case is obvious and assumed from context. I know it's not obvious to you, since english is clearly your second language. saying figuratively after something that is obviously not literal would be redundant, so we omit that. we then employ exaggeration to really drive the point home. it's one of those advanced literary tools everyone but complete morons or non-native speakers like yourself understands. do the needful retard - don't comment on shit you don't understand.

  7. Head transplant won't die? Just chop off its... by rs1n · · Score: 2

    ...err hang on a sec... hmm...

  8. in order to "count", does the head and the body by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    have to remain alive? otherwise, yeah, it would work, but it might be as successful as my gardening transplants. crumpled and dead.

    1. Re:in order to "count", does the head and the body by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      also you would wan the head to be able to control the body, otherwise what is the point?

  9. Head of Vecna by Solandri · · Score: 5, Funny
    I guess this is slightly on-topic.

    From Steve Jackson Games website....

    Many years ago (back when we all were still playing D & D), I ran a game where I pitted two groups against each other.

    Several members of Group One came up with the idea of luring Group Two into a trap. You remember the Hand of Vecna and the Eye of Vecna that were artifacts in the old D&D world where if you cut off your hand (or your eye) and replaced it with the Hand of Vecna (or the Eye) you'd get new awesome powers? Well, Group One thought up The Head of Vecna.

    Group One spread rumors all over the countryside (even paying Bards to spread the word about this artifact rumored to exist nearby). They even went so far as to get a real head and place it under some weak traps to help with the illusion. Unfortunately, they forgot to let ALL the members of their group in on the secret plan (I suspect it was because they didn't want the Druid to get caught and tell the enemy about this trap of theirs, or maybe because they didn't want him messing with things).

    The Druid in group One heard about this new artifact and went off in search of it himself (I believe to help prove himself to the party members...) Well, after much trial and tribulation, he found it; deactivated (or set off) all the traps; and took his "prize" off into the woods for examination. He discovered that it did not radiate magic (a well known trait of artifacts) and smiled gleefully.

    I wasn't really worried since he was alone and I knew that there was no way he could CUT HIS OWN HEAD OFF. Alas I was mistaken as the Druid promptly summoned some carnivorous apes and instructed them to use his own scimitar and cut his head off (and of course quickly replacing it with the Head of Vecna...)

    Some time later, Group one decided to find the Druid and to check on the trap. They found the headless body (and the two heads) and realized that they had erred in their plan (besides laughing at the character who had played the Druid)...The Head of Vecna still had BOTH eyes! They corrected this mistake and reset their traps and the Head for it's real intended victims...

    Group Two, by this time, had heard of the powerful artifact and decided that it bore investigating since, if true, they could use it to destroy Group One. After much trial and tribulation, they found the resting place of The Head of Vecna! The were particularly impressed with the cunning traps surrounding the site (one almost missed his save against the weakest poison known to man). They recovered the Head and made off to a safe area.

    Group Two actually CAME TO BLOWS (several rounds of fighting) against each other argueing over WHO WOULD GET THEIR HEAD CUT OFF! Several greedy players had to be hurt and restrained before it was decided who would be the recipient of the great powers bestowed by the Head... The magician was selected and one of them promptly cut his head off. As the player was lifting The Head of Vecna to emplace it on it's new body, another argument broke out and they spent several minutes shouting and yelling. Then, finally, they put the Head onto the character.

    Well, of course, the Head simply fell off the lifeless body. All members of Group Two began yelling and screaming at each other (and at me) and then, on their own, decided that they had let too much time pass between cutting off the head of a hopeful recipient and put the Head of Vecna onto the body.

    SO THEY DID IT AGAIN!... [killing another PC]

    In closing, it should be said that I never even cracked a smile as all this was going on. After the second PC was slaughtered, I had to give in (my side was hurting)...

    And Group Two blamed ME for all of that...

    1. Re: Head of Vecna by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How much of a neckbeard nerd do you have to fucking be to even think that shit up ??
      Meanwhile the jocks are getting their cocks sucked by hot blonde cheerleaders....

  10. Rofl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is what happens when you watch too much x-files lol...

  11. But isn't a 'head' composed of multiple organs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I realize that^ goes without saying... it just makes me curious about the types of side effects or rejections of new organs. Would the brain reject the new body? Would organs in the new body somehow be capable of recognizing "hey, this isn't the brain we're used to taking orders from?"

    I understand it's murky at best in terms of ethics... I just get curious about stuff like that :D

  12. Where are the Mi-go when you need them by sl3xd · · Score: 1

    The Mi-go go one step further - they remove the brain from the body.

    --
    -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
  13. Body Fine; Head No Good by jmcharry · · Score: 1

    Can he do something for me?

  14. Austin by s.petry · · Score: 1

    He'll never be the head of a major corporation. Nothing to lose one's head over...

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  15. Lacking technology for integrating nerves. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This procedure could be made a reality if we had the technology to properly integrate nerves quickly on a "large" scale, meaning at least partial spinal column. Without this, the transplanted head would be unable to command even the most basic function needed: breathing. Sure, you could have a machine breath for you but your odds of survival and quality of life go waaay down... unless you have money to afford all the assistive care you would need. I appreciate medical advancements as much as the next guy but even if this procedure worked, it wouldn't be advancing anything except for a doctor's ego.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:Lacking technology for integrating nerves. by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Long before a body transplant, we'll see spinal repair.

      You walk before you run, you crawl before you walk. Right now, we're barely crawling and anyone who says we can go run a marathon is a liar.

    2. Re:Lacking technology for integrating nerves. by GenYGuy · · Score: 1

      In another article it's claimed that they've solved this problem through a combination of a special scalpel to make very clean cuts of the nerves, and polyethylene glycol which promotes healing. They've only tried it on mice though.

  16. Already Successfully Demonstrated and Documented by tsqr · · Score: 1

    Just wanted to point out that a successful head transplant does not necessarily result in a body with only one head. Just ask Roosevelt Grier and Ray Milland.

  17. Why not a body transplant? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Isn't this just a body transplant as viewed by the head?

  18. Body transplant by enriquevagu · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's obviously a body transplant, not a head transplant. The donor donates the body, not the head.

  19. If successful still useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We can't get nerves to cross a small gap & work so this would likely just make you quadraplegic.
    It might mean you could live long enough for that bridging breakthrough to happen which might be longer than you have otherwise.
    http://www.youramazingbrain.org/brainchanges/nerves.htm

  20. Cannot Connect the Nerves by foxalopex · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think the main problem with a head transplant is how do you reconnect all the nerves you've broken. They've found that broken nerves don't tend to reconnect. Nerves aren't exactly like wires, they're more like a living tree. If you chop down a tree but change your mind, you'll need to glue the tree together and hope that it grows back together. If it doesn't want to do that like as in nerves, that is not going to work.

    Having your head disconnected from the body (even if you have all the blood vessels in place) is a problem. A lot of functions like breathing, heatbeat, and processing food is controlled by your brain and the lack of one isn't going to be great for the body.

    1. Re:Cannot Connect the Nerves by kkoo · · Score: 1

      Broken nerves don't reconnect, but surgically severed one do if treated properly after the operation.

    2. Re:Cannot Connect the Nerves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      People graft trees all the time. It's common practice for just about every fruit you eat.

      Neuroregeneration in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) occurs to a significant degree.

  21. Head Transplant? by Skip+Whiffle · · Score: 0

    Hopefully, this will be a body transplant, or someone's going to be pretty upset.

  22. This outrage is ridiculous by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    these are the same backwards people who in older days would've yelled "Frankenstein" over suggestions to transplant a heart, a hand, or any other limb or organ that brave doctors and patients have since proven to be doable.

    We can either let these stupid people stop medical science from progressing, or allow the doctor and his willing patient to go through with the procedure, to learn.

  23. great heads up on this whole affair... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Off with his head!"

  24. The patient, on the other hand, will. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nt

  25. Is it a head transplant? by Wrath0fb0b · · Score: 0

    I would call it a body transplant.

  26. here goes my dream ... by porky_pig_jr · · Score: 1

    of transplanting my head to Oprah's body :-(

    1. Re:here goes my dream ... by sheramil · · Score: 1

      you're posting in the wrong place. you want https://boards.4chan.org/d/

  27. how about two heads for twice the brain power? by k6mfw · · Score: 1

    yeah, going OT with a silly comment but this reminded me of "The Thing with Two Heads" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00...

    --
    mfwright@batnet.com
  28. Re: What If ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The original head may not like this idea.

  29. Reminds me of "The Brain that wouldn't die". by toonces33 · · Score: 1

    I think I only saw it on MST3K. I still remember the wise cracks about "neck juice".

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  32. Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm not an expert. From what little I know, I would expect that even after being able to keep the person alive throughout the operation, once their head is attached to the new body, now their blood (that in the brain from their old body) will have to deal with the new body's immune system, and the new body's immune system may attack all the new cells.

    1. Re: Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Would they need to remove the blood supply from the guy's head before freezing it? In order to avoid this, of course. Man, there are so many things that could go wrong with this...

  33. Cut off head of snake... by ripvlan · · Score: 1

    and the body will die.

    Visionaries are never taken seriously the first time.

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