http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/ Engadget Comments for Injectable brain gel may save soldiers' lives, zombify them, or both http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 7:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 11:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
Often, a heat probe is used to cause a lesion on a particular area of the brain. While this model is effective for attempting to determine what a particular area of the brain does, it is not a very good representation of the sorts of brain injuries often encountered by humans.

Some novel ways of causing traumatic brain injury in rats (injuries that more closely resemble those that frequently occur in humans) are really interesting. A group of scientists studying traumatic brain injury caused by shock waves propagating through brain tissue (which is a phenomenon associated with bullet penetrations, blunt trauma and high impact accidents) recreated this effect by detonating silver azide crystals inside rat skulls using lasers (crazy!).

Another model involves creating a rapid increase in intra-cranial pressure by injecting a large amount of saline into the cranial cavity. This is an excellent model for understanding how brain injury can occur as a result of increased fluid in the brain (which can be caused by a burst vessel or a fluid reuptake problem).

If you would like to learn more, check out the last link I posted. There are over 1600 studies that have used some form of traumatic brain injury and rats to try and understand the process (and help humans to overcome it).

More likely than not, you were attempting to elicit some sort of sympathy that you hope I feel towards these rats. Unfortunately, I don't have much. While I am grateful to the rats who have given their lives in order to help scientists understand the process of brain injury, I firmly believe that the sacrifice was well worth it. I also think that anyone who has had a stroke or traumatic brain injury in the last 20 years will agree with me. By studying this potentially debilitating injury, we can hope to mitigate, and someday even reverse, its effects. This, in my mind, is a goal worthy of study. If you can think of a way to do it that doesn't involve studying actual brain injuries, I'm all ears.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/m51300t01140x313/
http://www.be-md.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2761692
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&term=traumatic%20brain%20injury%20rat%20model&log$=related_query]]>Sep 7th 2009 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 7:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 10:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 10:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 7:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 10:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 2:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 8th 2009 12:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 7:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 7:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
unlike this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz3shDensDI

and while I know it's tongue in cheek, I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of scientists are concentrating on something very similar.]]>Sep 7th 2009 8:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
Igor: "Sure, you take the blond, and I'll take the one in the turban."]]>Sep 7th 2009 8:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 8:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 10:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 1:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 8:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 9:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 9:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 9:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/How do I post my profile picture Indiana Tux on here I can't seem to find my profile.]]>Sep 9th 2009 9:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 9th 2009 9:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 9:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
Nice igor reference Vlad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_%28Discworld%29]]>Sep 9th 2009 9:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/my worst nightmare.. turns out that George A ROmero WAS right... we are sooooo doomed...]]>Sep 7th 2009 9:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 9:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 10:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/


Referring to the smart part, of course, curing Alzheimer's would be awesome.]]>Sep 7th 2009 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
I was reading today about one of the life extension guys, and have of course been fascinated by Ray Kurzweil for some time. As much as the logic makes sense to me, I'm aware that the leap of faith for these ideas is helped in no small part by wishful thinking. However, regenerating damaged parts of the brain, while still some distance from, say, sustaining brain tissue with current memory and structure, is still quite a feat. If you asked me before I read this how long it would be before we had a jelly that could be injected in somebody's brain that would induce the stem cells to regenerate damaged portions, I'd say somewhere between 50 and eleventeen-hundred years. Yet its 3 (ish). Who knew?]]>Sep 7th 2009 11:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/I do have to say though that the three year mark seems optimisitic given that they're still just at the rat stage. I can understand why there would be a lot of enthusiasm to get this out into the world at large, given it's potential in treating strokes, paralysis, and a plethora of other conditions generally considered to be non-treatable, but doesn't it generally take a bit longer to go from successful tests on lab rats to being used in the field?]]>Sep 8th 2009 10:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
So one good thing about the war or whatever the americans are calling it now, more money to medical reserch of injuries. If injuries start to cut into new recruits there's a need to research better cures and this is the reason for this money. I'll hope them good luck with the research, as there's a real, even bigger than military, need on the civilian side too for this.]]>Sep 7th 2009 12:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 2:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
Yeah, ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism were bad things. ]]>Sep 7th 2009 5:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
I must have slepped through that. So no more communists in north korea, or china, or cuba? I'll go and buy some beach front property in cuba then, name it Hotel Fidel for american tourists, or Hotel Hemmingway might be more palatable for them.]]>Sep 7th 2009 9:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Homer: Hmm, increase my killing power, eh? I'll do it! ]]>Sep 7th 2009 12:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 12:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 1:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 8th 2009 2:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 6:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 7th 2009 8:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/
How do they stop it from growing ? what does the gel due to a non-injured brain ?

Might be a good hangover cure though ?]]>Sep 8th 2009 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 8th 2009 4:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Could be helpful for Humans.
But hitting a mouse in the head with a really small hammer, not my cupa java.
As for Tux: Linux!, Linux!, Linux!]]>Sep 9th 2009 8:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 9th 2009 9:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/07/injectable-brain-gel-may-save-soldiers-lives-zombify-them-or/Sep 9th 2009 9:11PM