Scientists restore cellular functions in brains from dead pigs, challenging long-held dogma

Yale researchers reported yesterday that they were able to restore some of the molecular and cellular function in the brains of pigs that had been dead for four hours, an experiment that’s likely to reignite the debate over what constitutes brain death. The scientists attached the pig brains to a special restoration device called BrainEx and ran souped-up artificial blood through the brains. The researchers observed functions such as oxygen and glucose consumption, but the brains didn’t show activity associated with consciousness or other high-order functions. “We never imagined we would get to this point, … restoring cells to this level” of functionality, says Dr. Nenad Sestan, who led the study. But he cautions, “This is not a living brain. This is a cellularly active brain.”