The controversial "head transplant" operation has the latest news: according to the daily mail of Britain compiled by surging news on November 17, Italian neuroscientist Sergio cannavero held a press conference in Vienna, Austria, the same day, announcing that the world's first human head transplant operation has been successfully carried out on a body, and the location of the operation is China. Professor Ren Xiaoping of Harbin Medical University in China participated in guiding the operation, kanawello said. On November 19, a reporter from science and technology daily rushed to Harbin Medical University to testify to Professor Ren Xiaoping face to face.
'we did original, original research'
The operation was performed at Harbin Medical University. "Ren Xiaoping told reporters," after about 18 hours of operation, my team and I successfully connected the head of one corpse to the spine, blood vessels and nerves of another. In the next week, the data, process and results related to this head transplantation will be published in the US academic journal SNI (surgical neurology International), where all the detailed procedures of the operation will be published. '
How to prove that the operation is successful?
Ren Xiaoping replied: 'since the academic journal will publish papers, it proves that the operation has academic value. No one has proposed how to do it before, but we have proposed how to cut, how to deal with nerves, how to deal with blood vessels and muscles, where to do it, why to do it, and so on. This is our result. '
"This operation is so important that we have done original and initial research. Some think it will be a milestone in the field of medicine. For example, the regeneration of the central nervous system has been regarded as an insurmountable obstacle, and the research in this field has been stagnant all over the world. "Ren Xiaoping stressed that" head transplantation is unprecedented in the history of human medicine. The operation should solve a series of problems, such as how to dissect, how to repair and reconstruct various tissues, how to do to ensure the maximum recovery of postoperative functions. Our operation has made a detailed description and innovative design of these aspects. '
Does the success of cadaver head transplantation mean that head transplantation can be performed in vivo?
Ren said that the success rate of living body can only be known after it has been done, and the pre clinical design scheme will continue to improve.
Another voice: 'body surgery' can only be considered as an anatomical study
"The so-called head transplantation is carried out on the body, which can not be strictly called an operation. According to Professor Hu Yongsheng, deputy director of functional neurosurgery of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, the operation should refer to the operation in vivo, and the actual operation on the body is anatomical or anatomical research. '
Hu Yongsheng introduced that the current medical technology can completely achieve the reconstruction and anastomosis of blood vessels, nerves, muscles and bones, but the most critical problem is how the severed spinal cord can perfectly achieve nerve regeneration and functional reconstruction. There is no breakthrough research progress in the world. "Now talking about living skull transplantation, in fact, there is not much practical significance. '
"I think we should fully carry out animal experiments first, and then consider human experiments after the surgical techniques and nerve regeneration methods have been fully confirmed, which is a truly responsible approach for patients and more in line with medical ethics. "In the future, it's possible to have a head transplant, but it's too far away," Hu said. '
Although he is cautiously optimistic about living head transplantation, Hu Yongsheng also believes that the anatomical study released on the 17th can be seen as a pre practice of a real 'head changing experiment'. "Its smooth implementation is only the first step, and human beings are far from the real realization of living human head transplantation. '
Who are you after the head transplant?
At the same time of the news of the success of the skull transplantation, the ethical issues involved in the "head replacement" have aroused heated debate again.
Hu Yongsheng pointed out that even if the skull transplantation is completely feasible in science and technology in the future, how to solve the following ethical problems? Who are you after the skull transplantation? He believed that at present, we must keep a clear mind for the skull transplantation, avoid impetuous and pompous, scientific exploration is meaningful, and excessive publicity is not beneficial.
To this end, Ren Xiaoping said that the history of human medical development has evolved from one dispute to another. In 1953, the first case of kidney transplantation was criticized by the academic community and society at that time that it should not be done, that people should die normally, and that no one else can change this process. So was the first case of heart transplantation, and even there were complaints from the public that doctors were unreasonable, illegal and rebellious. His hand transplant, which he took part in 20 years ago, was also included in the U.S. health care act last year. He said that new things will be controversial, and only when there is controversy can there be improvement.
As a doctor, this is my mission. The most basic elements of ethics are life and survival. Without life and survival, ethics cannot be discussed. Medical ethics is to cure the disease and save people. When a new thing appears, people can regulate it and discuss it, but they can't hinder it. History has proved that there is no power to hinder it. "Said Ren Xiaoping.