Scientists Successfully Revive Brain Cells in Dead Pigs Researchers at Yale University have discovered the line between “alive” and “dead” isn’t as set as once believed. Scientists were able to trigger the metabolic activity of brain cells and even restore function in the blood vessels of a deceased pig’s brain. The system, dubbed BrainEx, pumped an experimental solution into the brains of 32 slaughtered pigs. The pig’s brains had been at room temperature and without blood for four hours by the time the experiment started. The BrainEx solution was pumped into the brains for six hours and successfully brought oxygen to the surrounding tissue. While the results don’t qualify as a “living brain,” the experiment does prove that function can be restored to an intact dead brain. Researchers hope to now create electrical activity in the brain by removing the nerve blockers within the BrainEx solution. The nerve blockers were included in the initial study to protect against the unlikely chance of the brains regaining consciousness. This new discovery could benefit future stroke victims, as well render the need for organ donations obsolete.
