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First human head transplant in 2017

Kermit.de.frog

A mad Italian scientist plans the first human head transplant in 2017

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/plan-for-first-human-head-transplant-revealed-1.2247683

The idea of head transplants is nothing new; experiments in the 1950s transplanted the heads of dogs in early attempts to understand organ transplants.

And how did this work out?

However, both these efforts ultimately failed as body paralysis and immune rejection led to both dogs and monkeys not surviving for more than a few days.

Oh. I'm sure volunteers will be welcome. Any takers?

I get the whole cancer and degenerative disease argument though. Whether people would want their head tact to someone else's body regardless i'm not so sure about that one.

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ScumLord

This came up a while ago. It still seems like they've skipped a couple of steps. If they can't repair spinal cord injuries I don't see how they can transplant a head.

Seems like proving you can fix spinal cord injuries would be the logical step to take before cutting someone's head off.

NotCominBack

I'd take a change, as long as they don't give me David Beckhams head, would like to have a few brain cells to work with

Hazys

ScumLord wrote: »

This came up a while ago. It still seems like they've skipped a couple of steps. If they can't repair spinal cord injuries I don't see how they can transplant a head.

Seems like proving you can fix spinal cord injuries would be the logical step to take before cutting someone's head off.

Relax, don't lose the head

ThinkProgress

Does this mean you could technically keep *someone important* alive for longer, but attached to a younger body?

Or would the transplanted head age separately from the donor body?

*By important I mean intellectually etc, not some irrelevant pop culture icon!*

P. Breathnach

If they solved the technical problems, I think I would want to keep my head but get a new body.

Kermit.de.frog

ScumLord wrote: »

This came up a while ago. It still seems like they've skipped a couple of steps. If they can't repair spinal cord injuries I don't see how they can transplant a head.

Seems like proving you can fix spinal cord injuries would be the logical step to take before cutting someone's head off.

Not just physical issues though.

This might be one of those (if it succeeded) "it was a good thought at the time" - how mentally tough would you have to be to accept this even if you survived?

Dr Hunt Batjer, president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons has said that “I would not allow anyone to do it to me”

Indeed.

catallus

I'd keep my body and get a new head.

That'll learn them.

Kermit.de.frog

The doctor in question is pictured in the report examining a banana incidentally.

http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2247682.1434124660!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg

so...

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/119238/2928543-524906464-Not_sure_if_serious.jpg

LadyFenghuang

It doesn't seem to me like progress it seems medieval. Surely the cure to the ailment would be progress?

Bongalongherb

Id rather be dead than wake up as Frankenstein's monster. Hang on, I would be dead basically, no memory of my head being detached from my body, and also could stick my ageing head onto a young body, won't look good though.

What would be better, would be the scenario of being able to transplant your mind Digitally/electrically and all memories to a new body, that sounds more sexy.

Buona Fortuna

I won't believe it till they start a thread on AH

ScumLord

LadyFenghuang wrote: »

It doesn't seem to me like progress it seems medieval. Surely the cure to the ailment would be progress?

The Russian guy lined up to do this has a muscle wasting disease since birth and his body has been disfigured by the disease, there's no real help they can give him other than management. So a full body transplant would be the way to go.

Bongalongherb

Well all of those rich folks heads in the cryogenic capsules will need a body in the future. If it works I wonder how these folk will take it if reunited with waking life again in a new body. Sounds mad but eventually it will be normal practice.

I don't like this body I have, the shape is not to my liking, so how much for a new body of these measurements ?. €86,000, ah sure go ahead that's grand I'll take it. How much for a new head ? sorry we don't do heads just yet.

KungPao

Would jerking it be gay? It's someone elses ding dong after all.

Bongalongherb

Although an Italian neurosurgeon recently boasted that he plans to conduct a human head transplant within two years, experts say this proposal is scientifically and ethically absurd.

The idea behind the operation is that it could theoretically extend the life of a person whose body is gravely damaged or diseased by putting his or her head onto the body of a deceased donor. The surgeon said he plans to achieve this feat by joining the spinal cords of the severed head and new body.

However, some experts aren't convinced.

"I don't think it's possible," said Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, a professor of reconstructive plastic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, who performed the world's most complete facial transplant in 2012. Even today, after decades of research on spinal-cord injuries, there are still very limited options for treating people with these injuries, he said. URL="http://www.livescience.com/36279-interesting-transplants.html"]The 9 Most Interesting Transplants[/URL
In other words, because researchers have not found a way to rejoin two parts of an injured person's spinal cord, it's difficult to think that they could join two spinal cords from two different people.

blinding

I wonder could I grow a spare body and just slip the brain it when it suited.

I suppose you would want to start growing a body when you were young to have a body the same age.

I could have a variety of ages and maybe try having one or two female bodies just to see what it is like ! !

Mesrine65

First human head transplant in 2017

Handy for paedo's...

Faith+1

Shame it has to be a human head.....

Bongalongherb

Faith+1 wrote: »

Shame it has to be a human head.....

In Egypt regarding its wall paintings it seems folk had dog heads and bird heads. Maybe they were more technologically advanced in science than we thought. But there again it could be just head masks.

I'd say there are a lot of deep underground scientists already doing these head transplants on poor unfortunate homeless folk in certain countries ? I wouldn't be surprised to be honest. They are probably way ahead of this guy.

Junkyard Tom

Did you ever see that film where your man has his head transplanted onto a fly, and the fly's head was transplanted onto the man?

ScumLord

You also have organ rejection in normal transplants. Where does that start? Would the head reject the body, or the body reject the head? If the body rejects the head it could lead to serious brain damage.

catallus

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

Did you ever see that film where your man has his head transplanted onto a fly, and the fly's head was transplanted onto the man?

Was that in star-wars?

Junkyard Tom

catallus wrote: »

Was that in star-wars?

Lord of the Flies, I think.

catallus

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

Lord of the Flies, I think.

Was that even set in space?

PARlance

Bongalongherb wrote: »

In Egypt regarding its wall paintings it seems folk had dog heads and bird heads. Maybe they were more technologically advanced in science than we thought. But there again it could be just head masks.

I'd say there are a lot of deep underground scientists already doing these head transplants on poor unfortunate homeless folk in certain countries ? I wouldn't be surprised to be honest. They are probably way ahead of this guy.

Well played

Bongalongherb

ScumLord wrote: »

You also have organ rejection in normal transplants. Where does that start? Would the head reject the body, or the body reject the head? If the body rejects the head it could lead to serious brain damage.

Umm... I wonder about that as well. Different blood-cell type from the head and body. I suppose they would clean-out the old blood from the head while transfusing the same type blood from the body into the head at the same time ? I think I'm getting a headache thinking about this. A clean flush I'd say. Actually I don't think my theory would work anyway, complex stuff.

Well played

I forgot to add...Pun intended, I'm slow today.

donegaLroad

this raises the whole issue of the after-life..

imagine a bell ringing in Heaven after which a voice says 'would John Smith make his way back to the main entrance please, he is required to spend another 80 years on Earth as his head has been successfully transplanted on to a new body'

this also means that you could escape from hell

Bongalongherb

I think folk should just respect death and move on/or not. The human brain and its central nervous system is so extremely complex I just cannot see it happening any time soon.

Mesrine65

donegaLroad wrote: »

this raises the whole issue of the after-life..

imagine a bell ringing in Heaven after which a voice says 'would John Smith make his way back to the main entrance please, he is required to spend another 80 years on Earth as his head has been successfully transplanted on to a new body'

this also means that you could escape from hell

While riding your winged Unicorn over the rainbow to snatch the Leprechauns pot of gold :pac::pac::pac:

Junkyard Tom

catallus wrote: »

Was that even set in space?

That's probably 'Lord Of The Dance' you're thinking of.