A significant advancement has opened new research directions in brain injury, raising hopes for improved survival and recovery rates for patients with brain death in the future.
Chinese scientists have achieved an astonishing feat by restoring brain function in a pig after its circulatory system had ceased for nearly one hour.
Experts consider this a major breakthrough in discovering methods to restore brain function in patients following sudden cardiac arrest.
Researchers successfully “revive” the brain of a pig that had been dead for nearly an hour (Image credit: Getty).
To achieve this, the researchers initially employed a life-support system that included artificial heart and lungs to help pump fluid through the brain. However, this effort did not succeed.
Subsequently, the research team experimented by incorporating an undamaged liver into the life-support system. This liver played a crucial role in blood purification, thereby gradually reviving the deceased pig’s brain.
The research team also tested various delays, connecting the brain to the liver support system at intervals of 30 minutes, 50 minutes, 60 minutes, and 240 minutes.
The longest interval showing promise was 50 minutes after the brain was taken off life support. At this interval, the brain could still “restart” and maintain this state for about 6 hours until the experiment concluded.
However, merely extending the time by an additional 10 minutes resulted in severe damage to the pig’s brain, which could only be sustained for approximately 3 hours after being placed on the recovery system.
Researchers noted that these results indicate the liver plays a vital role in the development of brain injury following cardiac arrest.
These findings suggest new research avenues in brain injury and hope for improved survival rates and recovery outcomes for patients in the future.
