The research on pigs was conducted by experts from Yale University.
Scientists in the United States managed to restore blood circulation and other cellular functions in pigs an hour after their deaths, according to a study published Wednesday in Nature.
This is demonstrated by research conducted by experts from Yale University it is possible to slow down the rapid deterioration that the body undergoes after death, which may have useful applications to extend life.
The administration of a cellular protective liquid specially designed for organs and tissues could, for example, keep transplanted organs in good condition longerwhile expanding their availability, the authors underline in a note.
Some brain functions were still active six hours after the pigs died.
“All cells do not die immediately, there is a series of more prolonged events. It is a process that can be intervened, stopped and restored certain cellular functions,” explains one of the co-authors, David Andrijevic, of the Yale School of Medicine.
This work, they recall, is part of a previous investigation (2019) in which they restored blood circulation and some cellular functions in the brain of a dead pig through this new technology, which they called “BrainEx”.
“If we were then able to restore certain cellular functions in a dead brain, an organ known to be more susceptible to ischemia, we wondered if something similar could be achieved with other vital transplantable organs,” says Andrijevic.
The study was prepared by Yale University experts.
For this latest study, the team led by expert Nenad Sestan administered a modified version of “BrainEx”, called “OrganEx”, to a pig’s entire body, not just the brain.
This technology, they point out, is composed of a perfusion machine, similar to those that mimic the work of the heart and lungs during transplants, and an experimental fluid that contains compounds capable of maintaining cell health and preventing inflammation. throughout the body of the pig patient.
Therefore, the animals, previously anesthetized, were treated with “OrganEx” one hour after inducing cardiac arrest.
Six hours later, the experts found that some key cellular functions were still active in many areas of the pigs’ body, such as the heart, liver and kidneys.
Six hours later, experts found that some key cellular functions were still active in many areas of the pig body, such as the heart, liver and kidneys.
They also managed to restore some functions in the heart, where they detected evidence of electrical activity, with which this organ maintained its ability to contract.
“We were also able to restore circulation throughout the body, which surprised us,” says Sestan, who points out that normally, when the heart stops, the organs begin to swell and the collapse of blood vessels stops. circulation.
However, he notes, the organs of deceased pigs treated with “OrganEx” seemed to “work”.
As with the experiment conducted in 2019, experts have now found evidence that certain areas of the brain have recovered their cellular activity, although they have not detected organized electrical activity that would indicate the existence of consciousness.
As a scam, they observed the presence of involuntary and spontaneous muscle movements in the animals’ heads and necks, suggesting they retained some motor functions, Sestan says.
Source: Clarin
