[Seany (OP)]

I was looking through the forums here...

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=7264.msg76018#msg76018

And I was wondering whether brain transplants would ever be possible in the future? I mean, why not? I understand that it is a very very essential part of our body and that it is very delicate and hard to handle.. But.. Isn't there a way somehow?

If we disconnect the brain, then we immediately die, right? So there may still be a way of not disconnecting the brain, and still managing the transplant.. Yes, it seems a bit silly.

And even if the transplant does work, will we still have the same memories? Or take the memories and feelings and emotions of the person who used to own that brain?

[neilep]

Yes...!!..In mY opinion.....I am positive that in the future brains will be able to be transplanted !!

In fact...anyone can do it now...just unsuccessfully !!

I always have great faith in human ingenuity and I am sure it will be possible..

I am sure it will also be possible to download ourselves into a robotic chip/brain type thing as well !!...which is nice !!

[neilep]

Seany...ewe need to sort that link out in your post matey...it ain't working !!

[Seany (OP)]

Oh deary Neily!!! Going too far again!!

[Seany (OP)]

Der we go. All fixed

[benep]

well it is do-able but we will need very very highly experienced brain tranplaters   and it will be very very very risky of losing memory or it not suceeding at all

[Seany (OP)]

I doubt it is possible at the moment. Maybe within a few years.. But.. 90% of all surgeries would probably still fail even in 20 years time.

[another_someone]

I think we would be looking firstly at transplanting parts of the brain (e.g. transplanting the substantia niagra to treat parkinsonsism).

In reality, I have always thought that transplants, by their nature, are not a long term medical strategy (you rely on curing people by using the corpses of others seems somewhat self defeating in that the more lives you save the fewer cadavers you will have from which to obtain the raw materials for transplants).

To my mind, in the long term we will find ways of using stem cells to allow a patient to regrow their own damaged organs rather than relying on transplants.  We might still possibly use transplants in emergencies, as a stop gap measure until we have grown a new replacement organ; but not the final solution.

[Seany (OP)]

Yes.. But stem cells. That is also a problem isn't it? I don't know much about them, but I think I know that stem cells cannot be controlled at the moment. They just keep growing.. And this eventually leads to cancer?

[another_someone]

Yes.. But stem cells. That is also a problem isn't it? I don't know much about them, but I think I know that stem cells cannot be controlled at the moment. They just keep growing.. And this eventually leads to cancer?

No, this is not the case.

Certainly, there is a lot to learn about stem cells, but stem cells respond to their environment, and if placed in the correct environment they will produce whatever part of the body they should be creating.  What we need to learn is how to manage that environment so that the correct part of the body is produced, and the stem cells don't produce the wrong thing, or nothing at all.  I am not aware of them becoming cancerous (although I know that was an early fear, I did not think that experience had substantiated that fear).

One problem with stem cells is that simply using stem cells to replace a diseased organ, what is it that prevents the new organ succumbing to the same disease as the old organ.

[Seany (OP)]

Oh.. Well.. *Cough*.. Yep.. [] Err thanks []

[JimBob]

I do hope the technology comes around soon. I need my brain transplanted to the body of a young healthy, STUDLY man!