Not so long ago, we reported on a controversial article by Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero on human head transplantation. A work called HEAVEN literally emerged from the depths of science fiction: the scientist believes that we have the technology sufficient to successfully transplant a human head, and that it can help people with body injuries incompatible with life.
But is it ethical?
Before human head transplantation enters the world of consideration, scientists need to perform several successful experiments on primates, says Stephen Latham , a bioethics specialist at Yale University . And of course, none of these experiments will allow any of the sane ethics committees.
Nevertheless, experiments on primates have long been a thing of the past. Human trials too. The fact remains: a head transplant is an outrageous phenomenon. In the case of paralysis, even complete paralysis of the body, scientists will conduct less invasive surgical procedures before deciding to completely replace the human body.
“If you have a technology to attach the spine to the head, you must have developed a technology to repair someone’s broken spine,” the surgeon adds, laughing.
There is another point: doctors can be motivated by a head transplant contrary to the Hippocratic oath. Dr. Christopher Scott , a bioethicist and regenerative medicine expert at Stanford, is also concerned:
“We’ll have to make sure that doctors act in the name of medicine, and not in the name of anyone’s desire to be famous. These questions have already been raised before around a procedure such as face transplant. ”
In the best traditions of bioethics, Scott notes that a number of intricate philosophical questions will arise during the operation: what makes a person a person?
“Who will be the donor and who will be the recipient?” Says the doctor. “We all have an idea of personality, right? About what is a person. Everyone knows a child or a person becomes a person. And this procedure will turn everything upside down. Who will be the person - the one to whom the body belongs, or the one to whom the head belongs? This is a chimera, a hybrid. There are other more serious issues that need discussion. ”
And why bother to transplant your head? Let's make a new one like this heart.
The article is based on materials .
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