- Brain death is the ‘complete irreversible loss of brain function’
- This is the definition of death and is as final as cardiac death
- But a company in the US is working on ways to reverse brain death
- The techniques will be put to test in a clinical trial starting next year
TO BE DECLARED OFFICIALLY DEAD IN THE MAJORITY OF COUNTRIES, YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE COMPLETE AND IRREVERSIBLE LOSS OF BRAIN FUNCTION, OR ‘BRAIN DEATH.
And although this sounds final and absolute, a company in the US believes it doesn’t have to be.
Bioquark, a healthcare company set up to look into so-called ‘repair’ and ‘reanimation’ technologies claims death may not be ‘irreversible’ and we have reached a point to ‘push the envelope’ and test if this is really the case.
‘We are repeatedly told through the medical establishment that brain death is “irreversible” and should be considered the end of the line,’ Ira Pastor, boss of Bioquark said.
‘Or is it? Have we come to a technological point where we are able to ‘push the envelope’ to see if this is truly the case?
‘While it is true that human beings lack substantial regenerative capabilities in the central nervous system (CNS), many non-human species, such as amphibians, planarians, and certain fish, can repair, regenerate and remodel substantial portions of their brain and brain stem even after critical life-threatening trauma,’ Mr Pastor said.