Researchers at the University of Louisville are seeking permission from a bioethics panel to perform the first-ever face transplant. According to a CNN article, "the operation could offer new hope for those who suffer severe burns, cancer or gunshot wounds. The surgery will attach facial tissue and blood vessels from a cadaver to a new patient." [link]

New Scientist broke the news last week, reporting that "the team has been using the faces of bodies donated for medical research to practice the groundbreaking operation, and the results suggest that a transplanted face will not be recognisable as either the donor or the recipient - in effect creating a third face." As a result, the University of Louisville was swamped with inquiries, resulting in the release of a FAQ [link] on the status of the face transplant program. Apparently, they're not seeking volunteers quite yet, though I bet the Joker is in line. Here's a Flash animation explaining the transplant process. [link]