The world's first ever human head transplant is scheduled to be performed in China in December 2017. Chinese surgeon Ren Xiaoping and Italian doctor Sergio Canavero will conduct the historic transplant on a 30-year-old Russian man suffering from a rare medical condition.

Valery Spiridonov, the man who volunteered for the procedure in April, suffers from Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. The genetic aliment deteriorates the muscle and leads to breathing difficulties as well as the loss of motor functions.

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The procedure, which was originally announced in 2013, will be conducted in two years if the necessary tests and research are fulfilled within schedule.

"A lot of media have been saying we will definitely attempt the surgery by 2017, but that's only if every step before that proceeds smoothly," Dr. Ren said.

Dr. Canavero said Friday at a science conference in north-east China that he and Dr. Ren have created a team of dedicated medical officials who will hopefully make the procedure a success.

The historic operation will take place in China at an affiliated Harbin Medical University hospital located in Heilongjiang province.

Dr. Canavero recognizes the controversial nature of the procedure, however, he says this would not deter their efforts. He added that if successful, the procedure would "change the course of human history by curing incurable medical conditions."

He also said Dr. Ren, who has conducted more than 1,000 head transplants on mice, is the most qualified professional to head the project.

"Dr. Ren is the only person in the world able to lead this project," he said at the Frontier Science.

"With its outstanding organizational ability and group operational ability, China might be the best choice to carry out the head transplant," Dr. Canavero added.

The scientists have reportedly been given more than $2 million in both government and academic funding.

However, many remain skeptical of the operation, which is scheduled to last for 36 hours and costs $ 11 million. There are also questions regarding the donor. Dr. Ren has refused to comment on where the donor would come from.

The Chinese government recently vowed to stop harvesting the organs of executed death row inmates for medical procedures. Beijing also banned the trade of human organs in 2007. Reports indicate that demand for transplants has since exceeded supply.

Spiridonov, a computer scientist, says despite the fears, he is willing to undergo the procedure for the chance of experiencing life in a new healthy body.

"When I realized that I could participate in something really big and important, I had no doubt left in my mind and started to work in this direction, Spiridonov said. "The only thing I feel is the sense of pleasant impatience, like I have been preparing for something important all my life and it is starting to happen."

"It's impossible to predict who the donor will be. There is only one technical constraint: the body should be of the same race as the recipient," he added.

53-year-old Dr. Ren has conducted head transplants for over 1,000 mice since 2013. He plans to try the procedure on primates this year. After the operations, no mice have been able to live long. However, to his credit, Dr. Ren has managed to sustain a survival rate of one day.

He and Dr. Canavero have admitted that there is still a lot of work to be done in a human scenario. 

Spiridonov's new body would come from a healthy host who must be brain dead. Both the donor and patient's head would be severed simultaneously using a super sharp blade. The patient's head will then be attached to the donor's body using a glue like substance called polyethylene glycol - this will attach the two ends of the spinal cord together. The muscles would then be stitched up before the patient is put to coma for a month while the head and neck heals.

Both experts agree that there are still technical bridges to cross. They will administer powerful immunosuppressant drugs to stop the rejection of the new body.

TagsHead Transplant China, Human Head Transplant China, Mice Head Transplant China, Valery Spiridonov, ren xiaoping, Sergio Canavero, human head transplant