X-Message-Number: 3172
From: 
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 94 19:57:35 EDT
Subject: SCI. CRYONICS latest Ukrainian

Today we have the email report of Dr. Pichugin and Dr. Zhegunov on the 1st
part of the 4th stage of the sheep head work--not in time for the October
IMMORTALIST.  The full report--along with the following one, if we have it
then, and some of the photos, will appear in the Novermber IMMORTALIST
(published in October). Tonight I'll just give a very brief second-hand
report.

In general, the report was very encouraging. Cracking was NOT observed at the
naked eye level or the light microscope level, and was not mentioned at the
electron microscope level. This is in contrast to results in animals which
were treated by methods similar to those used for human patients in the past,
developed by Jerry Leaf, Mike Darwin, Hugh Hixon, and others--these showed
serious cracking at all levels, if I read correctly the reports kindly
furnished by Mike Darwin.

Furthermore, "the structure of the thawed glycerolized tissues was very
good."  Pyramidal neuronal axons and dendrites have no ruptures or other
mechanical injuries [in the photo being discussed]. Under the electron
microscope there was no drastic alteration of the cytoplasmic organelles,
although there was "increased vacuolization of the cytoplams and some changes
in the mitochordrial crysts." 

There is much more, and some of it is unclear, at least to me, and even when
the meaning is clear the interpretation is not always obvious. For a
definitive interpretation, we will of course have to
wait until several people have had an opportunity to read the reports in
full, see all the photos, get answers to questions that arise as to language
or fact or procedure, and compare to the Darwin/Leaf/Hixon reports and
photos.

With fingers crossed, however, I am considerably enouraged that the Cryonics
Institute patients treated by these methods are in relatively good condition,
both absolutely and by comparison to those treated by other methods. But even
at best we have a lot more work to do, and we intend to get on with it,
trying to benefit from all inputs.

Robert Ettinger

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