The allure and dangers of experimenting with brain-dead bodies

This article was originally featured on Undark. When the Philadelphia-based company Bioquark announced a plan in 2016 to regenerate neurons in brain-dead people, their proposal elicited skepticism and backlash. Researchers questioned the scientific merits of the planned study, which sought to inject stem cells and other materials into recently deceased subjects. Ethicists said it bordered on quackery and would exploit grieving families. Bioquark has since folded.

The family of Alva Capuano lived through such a pause in July 2022, when she was declared brain dead after being discovered unconscious in her home. Capuano had elected to be an organ donor. But after enduring Type 1 diabetes, a kidney transplant, and complex infections over the course of her life, her body was worn out, and many of her organs were unsuitable for donation. “We got to a point where it just became very trying on us,” said Tim Capuano, Alva’s son.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Open Faculty Positions at the State Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition & Brain-inspired Intelligence - Shanghai, China job with CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT)The State Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence is established in the Center of Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (http://english.cebsit.cas.cn/).
Source: Nature - 🏆 64. / 68 Read more »

Long COVID brain fog may be due to damaged blood vessels in the brainMRI scans of long COVID patients with brain fog suggest that the blood brain barrier may be leaky.
Source: ScienceNews - 🏆 286. / 63 Read more »

Research offers hope for preventing post-COVID 'brain fog' by targeting brain's blood vesselsResearchers have identified a mechanism that causes neurological problems in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19. The researchers also found a treatment that helped prevent these changes.
Source: ScienceDaily - 🏆 452. / 53 Read more »

First Neuralink patient plays chess with brain chip implant in new videoThe first patient to receive one of Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chips showed how he can control a laptop computer with his thoughts in a video livestream.
Source: FoxBusiness - 🏆 458. / 53 Read more »

World's First Neuralink User Plays Chess Via Thought After Brain ImplantThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Source: ScienceAlert - 🏆 63. / 68 Read more »

Bad Odors And Brain Fog: 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Quitting CigarettesWhen you set out to quit smoking, you know it will be hard -- but you may not realize the extent of the obstacles, from brain fog and bad smells to constant hunger and haywire emotions. A first-person account.
Source: WBUR - 🏆 274. / 63 Read more »