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The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) removed a clinical trial registry whose aim is to revive brain-dead accident victims. An orthopedic surgeon, Himanshu Bansal, at Anupam Hospital in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand had planned to give 20 brain-dead people a mix of interventions including injections of stem cells, peptides, and laser and median nerve stimulation. There is a scattering of evidence that these individual treatments can improve the conditions of people who have suffered massive head trauma, but none as yet for those who have suffered brain death. Last spring Bansal stated his goal was to bring brain-dead people back to a "minimally conscious state" in which patients show flickers of consciousness.
One of the ethical concerns raised was that these treatments have not even been tested on animal models. In addition, even if the experiment succeeds, it would be highly traumatic to the families and it leaves open the issue of the responsibility of the long-term care of the patient.
In a press statement, Bansal argued that there are no good animal models for human brain death. Asked in a June interview for The Wire what he planned to do if patients were brought back to a minimally conscious state but did not regain further function, Bansal responded that his team "had not planned for it" initially, but that he had since purchased an insurance policy to cover the costs of full-time care of such patients. Still, the ReAnima team has struggled to convince family members to allow brain-dead accident victims to be enrolled in the trial, says Ira Pastor, chief executive officer of Bioquark.
The peptides that were to be used was going to be supplied by Bioquark, a Philadelphia biotech firm. Ira Pastor, the chief executive officer of Bioquark, said that this rejection is only a minor setback and that this research will continue, in a different country if necessary:
"We are in no major rush, in that it represents a 'Google Moonshot'–style project," he says. "Many road blocks, no doubt, will pop up. But the project will go on."
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Thursday November 17 2016, @12:43AM
Someone needs to remind Dr. Bansal that medicine is supposed to be compassionate and reduce human suffering, not increase it. I'm glad his plans for experimental dysthanasia were nipped in the bud. What the hell was he thinking? They're already dead so let's bring them back a little so whatever is left can suffer a little bit longer before dying again of sepsis from the ventilator, bedsores, or multi-organ failure?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday November 17 2016, @12:58AM
The research could lead to more survivors of car accidents, to pick an example. Reversing "brain death" buys more time to work on the victims.
What does suffering matter? If the patients have agreed to undergo the procedures in the event of their death in order to advance medical science, then they can take a little more suffering.
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(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday November 17 2016, @01:06AM
I have read that much of what we know about how to treat exposure is due to the experimentation the nazis did on prisoners. Allied troops seized the data when they liberated the camps. I don't know if anyone else can confirm that.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday November 17 2016, @06:41PM
Not sure what kind of exposure you are talking about.
But the canadian military did cold weather exposure research on volunteers (I suspect some were volun-told).
I suspect you were referring to chemical exposure though.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday November 17 2016, @09:36PM
There's some reference to it in the wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_human_experimentation [wikipedia.org]
Cold exposure is mentioned, as is the effects of phosgene gas.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Thursday November 17 2016, @01:30AM
The research could lead to more survivors of car accidents
Progress AT ANY PRICE eh?
What does suffering matter?
Say that again when you're next in line for the suffering.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by takyon on Thursday November 17 2016, @01:48AM
Willful ignorance, eh? There's no reason why a small amount of patients can't consent to an experimental procedure before needing it.
Even if there was no consent, or just consent given by family members, the "price" is small.
Weak. Prove that revival would cause "suffering" that can't be mitigated.
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(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @03:55AM
It seems from these posts that you are consenting to this procedure. We have taken note. Drive safely. But not too safe.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Post-Nihilist on Thursday November 17 2016, @03:00AM
We already have medicine to prevent brain damage in case of traumatic brain injury and strokes: NMDA receptor antagonist: ketamine, phencyclidine, mematine, diphenidine and diociplizine.
But we do not use them because a doctor on the DEA and FDA payroll could not understand the difference between damage in rat brain and human brain...
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/26/3/503.full [ahajournals.org] for a good introduction on NMDA blockade..
Be like us, be different, be a nihilist!!!
(Score: 3, Touché) by bob_super on Thursday November 17 2016, @12:59AM
> What the hell was he thinking?
Money, fame, pride, the usual "don't ask yourself if you should" trifecta.
(Score: 3, Funny) by arslan on Thursday November 17 2016, @01:18AM
You miss the most important one of all.. being able to exclaim "It's alive!"