An Italian neurosurgeon, intends to attempt the first human head transplant by 2017, though no successful animal transplants with long-term survival have yet been made.
Because of the difficulty of connecting the spinal cord, Canavero has suggested improvements in the process using a special blade and polyethylene glycol, a polymer used in medicine as well as in everything from skin cream to the conservation of the Mary Rose, can help start growth in spinal cord nerves. for more