Extraordinary results raise hope for better brain injury treatment in humans. 

The anaesthetic gas xenon has dramatically reduced long term death and disability in brain-injured mice, prompting researchers to call for a trial in humans.

Led by trauma researcher Robert Dickinson, from Imperial College London in the UK, the team found xenon given to head-injured mice preserved memory, reduced biomarkers of trauma, and led to a more than eight-fold improvement in survival at 12 months.

Xenon is one of the so-called “noble gases” that include argon and neon, and has been touted as the perfect anaesthetic, held back chiefly by its high price tag.

Read the full article in Cosmos magazine here