Legal Protection Legal Protection for Cryonics for Cryonics

PatientsPatientsHow brain cryopreservation How brain cryopreservation

research can contributeresearch can contribute

Chana de Wolf, M.S.Chana de Wolf, M.S.Advanced Neural BiosciencesAdvanced Neural Biosciences

Strategies for Legal Protection of Cryonics Patients

Persuade the medical establishment that cryonics patients deserve legal protection because we believe so.

OR

Present evidence that cryonics patients are not dead according to contemporary criteria of death.

Legal Criteria for Death

Cardio-respiratory death: irreversible cessation of heart beat and breathing.

Brain death: irreversible cessation of electrical activity in the brain.

Brain DeathBrain Death

Accidental brain death: severe ischemic Accidental brain death: severe ischemic insults or head trauma.insults or head trauma.

Brain death as Brain death as choicechoice: contemporary : contemporary medicine gives up…..medicine gives up…..

BUT WE DON’T!BUT WE DON’T!

How to Prevent Brain Death?

• Cryopreserve terminal patients and maintain them at cryogenic temperatures.

• Can this be done?

Brain Cryopreservation Research

• First objective: good preservation of brain ultrastructure.

• Second objective: preserve viability of brain slices.

• Third objective: demonstrate maintenance of electrical activity in brain slices.

• Fourth objective: demonstrate maintenance of electrical activity in the whole brain.

Ultrastructural Brain Preservation

Viability in Brain Slices

• April 2006: Published survival of vitrified

brain slices (Pichugin, Fahy, et al).

– 100% viability of vitrified hippocampal

slices as measured by K+/Na+ ratios

• Slices also looked great when observed

by light and electron microscopy

Electrical Activity in Brain Slices

• 2008: Recovery of electrical activity of vitrified brain slices when:– Immediately rewarmed after vitrification – Stored at -135C for 1-7 days– Vitrified using M22, VEG, or VM3

• Measured field EPSPs in response to stimulation were similar to control tissue– % responding and amplitude of response

• Persistence of the LTP “Memory Response” after vitrification and rewarming

Electrical Activity in Whole Brain

• No public announcements to date.

• Objective: peer reviewed publication of maintenance of electrical activity after vitrification and rewarming.

Cryonics Patients are NOT DeadCryonics Patients are NOT Dead

Public recognition of successful brain Public recognition of successful brain vitrification can be used to seek legal vitrification can be used to seek legal protection for cryonics patients.protection for cryonics patients.

We are not just saying these patients We are not just saying these patients are not dead, are not dead, mainstream criteriamainstream criteria do. do.

How to Accomplish This?How to Accomplish This?

Support brain cryopreservation Support brain cryopreservation researchresearch

Aggressive PR efforts to communicate Aggressive PR efforts to communicate brain preservation research objectives brain preservation research objectives and achievements.and achievements.

Seek legal protection for cryonics Seek legal protection for cryonics patientspatients

Demand cryonics as an elective in-Demand cryonics as an elective in-hospital procedure.hospital procedure.

Other Benefits of Brain Cryopreservation Research

Increased recognition of the technical feasibility of cryonics with scientists and the general public.

Improved cryopreservation procedures for existing members of cryonics organizations.