The first human head transplant may be carried out in Dec 2017 as Italian neurosurgeon Dr Sergio Canavero has announced that he, along with a team of surgeons from China and other countries, is expected to do it at Harbin Medical University in China.
Ren Xiaoping, a professor from Harbin Medical University, is the head of the Chinese team for the operation. He told the China Voice program of China National Radio on Monday that his team and Dr Canavero have been talking about pre-clinical research cooperation for the operation, but the exact timetable, place and whether or not they should operate on patients with this particular disease have not been determined yet.
"It is possible to carry out a human head transplant if the condition of pre-clinical research is as effective and sound as we expected and various supports are there for the operation in two years," said Ren.
The preparations for the operation are underway.
Prominent and dedicated scientists from about ten universities at home and abroad are willing to join the team, including plastic surgeons from the Second Military Medical University and Fudan University in Shanghai, engineering professors from Beijing Normal University and those from North America and Europe, said Ren.
Ren's team is also negotiating with engineering professors from Harbin Institute of Technology on medical equipment, some of which have patented designs, he added.
"Such an operation cannot be achieved by a single man. My task is to initiate such an enormous project, which may not be solved by our generation", he said, "But we build a platform for the followers, accelerate its progress towards clinical application, train a group of young people and even enhance the reputation of our nation in international circles."
Controversy over medical ethics
Human head transplants have raised ethical concerns among people in the field.
Ren disagrees with the opinion that norms come after behavior.
"In medical history, every innovation has been realized before psychologists and ethicists establish norms for it. For human head transplants, since it has not been achieved clincally, there are no norms for it", said Ren.
He cited a professor from Harvard University by saying that it is unreasonable to hamper its development if it is approved by the government and related legal departments.
Three Chinese volunteered for operation
The volunteer for the first human head transplant is Valery Spiridonov, a Russian computer scientist, who suffers from a muscle-wasting condition known as Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. Spiridonov hopes that the procedure will give him a second chance.
Three Chinese also volunteered for such an operation, according to Ren.
Many patients who heard the news begged Ren to consider them for the operation, only to get an explanation that it could not be achieved in the short term.
Many patients, who suffer from terminal cancer,paraplegia or some congenital diseases, have a perfectly healthy head but a dead body. Some of them die without any treatment. Modern science had no way to improve their condition, said Ren.
"As a medical scientist, what's your responsibility and duty? Whether you save these patients' lives or not? In the US, someone questions it on ethical grounds. Spiridonov asked the questioner whether he would oppose if he were in his condition", he said.
