A U.S. firm is planning its first attempt at a Frankenstein-esque reawakening of ‘the dead’.
Bioquark, based in Philadelphia, think that brain death is not ‘irreversible’ and plan to test an unparalleled stem cell method on patients in an unidentified country in Latin America.
Details of the test will be confirmed in the next few months, but CEO Ira Pastor has established that Bioquark has developed a series of injections that can reboot the brain.
The idea is to inject stem cells into the spinal chords of people who have been declared clinically brain dead, in conjunction with an injection of protein blend, electrical nerve stimulation, and laser therapy to the brain.
Ultimately, the goal of this treatment is to grow new neurons and spur them to connect to each other, bringing the brain back to life.
Pastor said:
It’s our contention that there’s no single magic bullet for this, so to start with a single magic bullet makes no sense. Hence why we have to take a different approach.
I give us a pretty good chance. I just think it’s a matter of putting it all together and getting the right people and the right minds on it.
No brain dead people have ever regained brain function, so it’s a big ask from Bioquark.
Dr. Charles Cox, a pediatric surgeon who has done research with mesenchymal stem cells said:
It’s not the absolute craziest thing I’ve ever heard, but I think the probability of that working is next to zero.
I think [someone reviving] would technically be a miracle.
I think the pope would technically call that a miracle.
The trials will begin on humans this year, and they have no plans to test the treatment out on animals first.
Scientific experiments like this raise issues of consent, as well as blurring the definition of dead.
Bioquark is part of a broader project called ReAnima which is ‘exploring the potential of cutting edge biomedical technology for human neuro-regeneration and neuro-reanimation’.
Sounds pretty creepy!
