But they say they have found a way to prevent brain cells from sustaining irreparable damage as blood stops circulating, and even to restore some of the cells’ functions. A number of studies, including those involving cells taken from dead brains, have suggested brain cells might not inevitably die after blood stops circulating. Four hours after their deaths the arteries of the pig brains were hooked up to a sophisticated system dubbed BrainEx, which pumped an oxygenated synthetic blood through the organ. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Researchers used a system called BrainEx to circulate synthetic blood through the pigs’ brains. The team said that while the BrainEx fluid was circulating, they monitored the brains to check for any signs of organised electrical activity that might suggest consciousness.

Source: The Guardian April 17, 2019 16:52 UTC