First head transplants ‘in a decade’
HUMAN head transplants could be just a decade away, a former NHS neurosurgeon has claimed.
Bruce Mathew, a former clinical lead for neurosurgery at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, believes advancements in robotics, stem cell transplants and nerve surgery will soon make the procedure possible.
Italian neurosurgeon
Prof Sergio Canavero is already working on the first live head transplant – which would see a head severed at the spinal column attached to another body.
But Mr Mathew believes it would be better to remove the head and entire spinal column together. “The idea that you split the spinal cord is utterly ridiculous,” Mr Mathew said.
“The thought of keeping it in one piece has always been daunting but with modern technology, you can do most things. It will take a number of advancements, but it will probably happen in the next 10 years.”
Mr Mathew said he also realised there was a way to move the consciousness of one person to another when helping an author write a science-fiction novel.
“Initially, our intention was to just brainstorm an idea and it seemed rather silly but then I realised, it actually isn’t,” he said.
“If you transplant the brain and keep the brain and spinal cord together, it’s not impossible.
“At the moment, you can connect one or two nerves but with robotics and artificial intelligence, we’ll soon be able to do 200 nerves.”
The technique will not help people with spinal cord injuries, but could help those with diseases like muscular dystrophy.
In 2017, Prof Canavero carried out a head transplant on a corpse, connecting the spine, nerves and blood vessels of two people.
The 18-hour operation was carried out by a team in China, where the professor is based.
They had previously grafted a head on to the body of a monkey.