Connecticut startup tests drugs on suspended human neural tissue.

Inside what critics describe as a modern-day laboratory of sorts, a contentious Connecticut-based enterprise is conducting trials that challenge the traditional definitions of life and death. Within tanks containing circulating fluids, neural tissue harvested from recently deceased individuals is maintained in a state of suspended animation by research teams. This biological material remains in a transitional phase for several hours, with electrical activity suppressed through the use of anesthetics, effectively placing it on the precipice of death.

Despite the unsettling nature of the procedure, proponents argue that the technology could hold the promise of curing debilitating conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The startup, identified as Bexorg, utilizes this method to evaluate experimental pharmaceuticals on living, functional human neural tissue. The specimens are sourced from patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders, obtained through organizations that facilitate organ donation for transplantation. Over a five-year operational period, the company has reportedly subjected more than 700 human brains to these testing protocols.

The process relies on a proprietary system the company terms BrainEx, designed to sustain the organ in a temporary state of biological limbo following death. The mechanism functions by infusing a specialized synthetic blood substitute through the brain's vascular network, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the deep tissue structures. Simultaneously, the system's control protocols regulate temperature and environmental conditions to preserve cellular integrity. Once the donated tissue is connected to the BrainEx apparatus, the administration of experimental compounds begins immediately. Researchers monitor the tissue's reaction in real-time, collecting data regarding cellular behavior, protein interactions, and physical responses. Following a 24-hour period during which the tissue metabolizes various drug candidates, the process is terminated, and the sample is sectioned for further microscopic analysis. This approach enables scientists to determine the duration of drug presence within cells, their ability to reach specific targets, and the potential for adverse side effects.

Although the methodology may appear grim, Bexorg's leadership contends that it represents a more ethical advancement in drug development compared to traditional methods. Currently, new medications are frequently evaluated using animal models, such as mice, pigs, or monkeys. While animal testing has faced significant ethical scrutiny, it also carries inherent limitations regarding accuracy; a molecular response observed in a rodent brain does not necessarily predict the same reaction in a human. The United States government is actively encouraging a shift away from animal models toward human-based systems, including simulated organs grown from lab-cultivated tissues and organoids. However, experts note that these alternatives lack the complexity of a human brain that has evolved over decades to react to environmental factors, medications, and lifestyle influences. Zvonimir Vrselja, the founder of Bexorg, noted to Science that researchers obtain cells that have existed within a human body for 60 to 80 years, a factor that causes real human brains to react to treatments in ways that a petri dish of isolated cells cannot replicate. The primary alternative to using whole human brains remains the use of collections of neural cells known as brain organoids.

Conducting clinical trials on living humans remains impossible for new experimental medications, yet testing on actual living people is strictly unacceptable. In response to this ethical gap, Bexorg offers partially living brains as a practical alternative for pharmaceutical research. Scientists claim this method could save millions of dollars and reduce drug development timelines by several years. Currently, the pharmaceutical firm Biohaven is preparing to launch a clinical trial based on data gathered from these preserved organs. The specific medication aims to restore energy supplies in brains damaged by neurodegenerative conditions. A similar Parkinson's treatment failed completely in mice but succeeded in disembodied brains at twenty times the expected dosage. The concept of maintaining brains in vats has raised concerns about potential consciousness or the ability to feel pain. In 2019, researchers published findings showing their machine successfully restored function to pig brains obtained from a local slaughterhouse. At the time, Yale bioethicist Stephen Latham told Live Science that the technology lacks institutional oversight. He warned that if consciousness were accidentally induced, no ethics committees exist to handle such research trade-offs. Despite these fears, Bexorg insists their brains never regained any form of consciousness or awareness. Brendan Parent, a bioethicist from NYU Langone Health and an advisor to Bexorg, states these brains lack coordinated neural activity. This absence of activity means they cannot produce thoughts, memories, or subjective experiences resembling life. To ensure safety, the artificial blood perfusing the tissue contains propofol, a potent anaesthetic. This chemical suppresses electrical signals within the brain to maintain basic functionality only. The setup prevents any activity capable of generating thoughts or memories within the preserved organ.