{"id":128682,"date":"2025-05-06T11:28:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T11:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=128682"},"modified":"2025-05-06T11:28:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T11:28:16","slug":"research-dao-claims-paralyzed-rats-recover-after-spinal-cord-fix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=128682","title":{"rendered":"Research DAO claims paralyzed rats recover after spinal cord fix"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: Cointelegraph.com NewsDecentralized autonomous organization (DAO) HydraDAO claims that its researchers were able to use a novel technique to repair severed spines in rats.
\nIn a May 5 X post, decentralized science (DeSci) project HydraDAO said that one of its research projects resulted in \u201crats who had their spines fully transected\u201d being able to walk again. More notably, recovery from surgery reportedly only took five days.
\nSource: HydraDAOThe post featured a video of partially shaved (presumably due to surgery) rats walking in what appeared to be a laboratory setting. The effort in question is the Dowell spinal fusogens project led by Michael Lebenstein-Gumovski, which raised 380,700 USDC (USDC) from donors. The dedicated HydraDAO page reads:
\n\u201cThe Dowell team submitted a project proposal to HydraDAO. After careful consideration and two peer reviews, HydraCore deems it in the interest of HydraDAO\u2019s community.\u201c
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\nMore than smoke and mirrors?
\nFusogens are chemicals capable of fusing cell membranes and have long been researched as a means to reconnect severed nerve fibers. One such chemical is polyethylene glycol (PEG), which was shown to promote membrane fusion and seal axonal membranes in other research.
\nThe Dowell team adds a biopolymer from crustacean shells called chitosan, resulting in a PEG-chitosan compound dubbed neuro-PEG. This compound is also photopolymerizable, meaning it can be rapidly solidified using light.
\nThis presumably allows for creating a solid scaffolding that can weld the spinal cord more permanently than liquid PEG-based solutions. Dowell also implements neuroprotection techniques such as localized hypothermia and cellular death inhibitors to prevent further damage to nerve tissue.
\nA 2023 research paper by Gumovski published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Surgical Neurology International claimed that pigs treated with the compound recovered mobility in two months. The study\u2019s conclusion read:
\n\u201cNeuro-PEG affords sensorimotor recovery after complete spinal cord transection. This opens the door to human experimentation, including trials of spinal cord transplantation.\u201c
\nThe Dowell team also filed a patent for developed technologies, with a 2022 Russian patent describing a \u201cmethod of restoring spinal cord functions after transection using a PEG-chitosan conjugate,\u201d listing Lebenstein-Gumovski among its inventors.
\nThe HydraDAO proposal suggests that \u201crevenue streams include specialized surgical kits priced between $3,500 and $20,000, depending on the market and region.\u201d Furthermore, the team would also provide \u201ccomprehensive training and certification for neurosurgeons and emergency medical services\u201d personnel.
\nRelated: Major scientific journal Nature features DeSci project ResearchHub
\nSome interesting connections
\nGumovski is a neurosurgery researcher based in Russia (Stavropol State Medical University and affiliated institutes). He was a member of Sergio Canavero\u2019s research head-transplant project, cited in at least one relevant paper.
\nThose articles were also published in Surgical Neurology International, while most top scientific publications shied away from the subject. The neurosurgeon from Turin, Italy, claimed to have performed a successful head transplant on a monkey back in 2016.
\nThe team also experimented on human cadavers in preparation for a 2017 live human head transplant, which never took place. Neuroscientist Dean Burnett said at the time that head transplantation presented insurmountable challenges and that Canavero had \u201coffered no feasible explanation or science for his claims to be able to overcome these hurdles.\u201d
\nWhile the Dowell team\u2019s project builds on established research and should not be dismissed outright, it is hard not to notice the similarity in making public claims not unlike those that characterized Canavero\u2019s career. Furthermore, fusogens are well studied and less dramatic but similar results have been reported by other teams in the past (2019 example from the University of Texas).
\nWill the paralyzed walk again?
\nThe evidence provided is promising, but it is advisable to exercise caution, especially until multiple third-party teams independently reproduce the results.
\nHydraDAO promised additional electrophysiology experiments and tracing dyes to assess connectivity between the brain and lower spine. This extra data may enhance the credibility of the research results.
\nStill, further research is needed to assess whether it will result in a clinically viable technique for real-world spinal injuries.
\nMagazine: DeSci: Can crypto improve scientific research?Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Source: Cointelegraph.com NewsDecentralized autonomous organization (DAO) HydraDAO claims that its researchers were able to use a novel technique to repair severed spines in rats. In a May 5 X post,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128682"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=128682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128682\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=128682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=128682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=128682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}