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In the name of life: Scientists intend to put some seriously injured people into anabiosis
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Soon, suspended animation will no longer be science fiction: In the hope of saving lives, trauma surgeons are planning to plunge some seriously injured people into deep cold - cooling their body temperature to -50 degrees.
The new strategy involves placing patients in a state of extreme hypothermia that would allow them to survive without brain damage for about an hour.
In a Defense Department-funded experiment, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh are preparing to test the technique on victims who are at high risk of cardiac arrest due to massive blood loss from gunshot or stab wounds. Only 7 percent of people with such injuries currently survive.
Lead researcher Dr Samuel Tisherman of the University of Pittsburgh said: "We hope this technique will help doctors buy time to save lives in critical conditions." His team plans to begin the study early next year in Pittsburgh.
If the radical approach works, we could rethink old ideas about the line between life and death, says Dr. Arthur Caplan, a biomedical scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.
Today, scientists are resolving the legal aspects of the experiment. As is known, the law requires written consent for participation in medical experiments after familiarizing the participants with the procedure, possible side effects and therapeutic value. It is impossible to go through the entire procedure provided by law in the case of severe injuries and significant blood loss, since they require prompt assistance and surgical intervention. In such cases, there may not even be time to obtain permission from relatives.
So, starting November 15, 2011, the Pittsburgh team began an online campaign to educate citizens about the upcoming study. Fearing serious risks, such as brain damage, residents often refuse to participate in the study if they suffer life-threatening injuries.
Doctors have long tried to use hypothermia in medicine, having found that cooling slows the metabolism of the brain and other organs, allowing them to go without oxygen for longer periods of time. In particular, the hypothermia method is used in the transportation of donor organs.
The use of deep hypothermia at body temperatures around -50 degrees Celsius over the past 10 years has been shown to be effective in dogs and pigs, which have been used as models of human trauma.
Biospecialist Dr. Arthur Caplan says there is one danger with hypothermia: While it may save lives, the surgery can cause serious brain damage that can lead to disability. That's why many people would rather just die in these situations.
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