It is sometimes frightening how well classic fiction predicts the future. For instance, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury described earbuds well before they were ever developed. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is another terrifying example. In the book, Dr. Frankenstein experimented with resuscitation using dead tissue reanimation, a treatment that was experimented with by real scientists in the 1800s. Recently, researchers are once again looking for ways to reverse death, and they may have found the solution.
A New Trial May Bring the Dead Back to Life: The ReAnima Project
For this study, the researchers will use stem cells as a “reset button” for the body to erase cell damage and stimulate tissue regeneration. According to those involved, the research may lead to “complex tissue and organ regeneration, disease reversion, and even biological age reversal.”The trial will be run by Indian specialist Dr. Himanshi Bansal and biotech companies called Revita Life Sciences [1] and Bioquark Inc. [2]
Twenty patients are the subjects of this study. They are all braindead, which is considered clinical death, and are only kept alive through life support. The test will involve injecting brain stem cells and peptides into their brains bi-weekly over six weeks and a series of other treatments including lasers and nerve stimulation techniques, which have brought patients out of comas in the past.
The researchers believe the stem cells will follow a similar process salamander cells use to regrow limbs, that is, differentiating into functional brain cells.
The patients will be monitored for several months through brain imaging equipment for signs of regeneration, especially in the upper spinal cord where the brain stem controls breathing and the heartbeat. [3]
The initial stage is called ‘First in Human Neuro-Regeneration & Neuro-Reanimation,’ and will take place at the Anupam Hospital in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand India.
Since this first stage has small and non-random sample size, it’s more a of a proof-of-concept than a conclusive study.
Dr. Bansal claimed to have some previous success with two patients in the Gulf and Europe.
The trial was estimated to begin in July 2019 and end in July 2021.
What is Considered “Braindead”?
The diagnosis of “braindead” comes when a person loses all brain stem function, including breathing, and the potential for consciousness. However, braindead patients may still have other perfectly functional systems. For example, their bodies can still digest food, excrete waste, circulate blood, balance hormones, age, sexually mature, spike a fever, heal wounds, and deliver a baby.Some studies show that some electrical activity and blood flow continue in the brain after becoming braindead, but not enough to allow the entire body to function. [5]
