Xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation is the future, and always will be - Norman Shumway
image by: Patrick Treacy
HWN Recommends
A Brief History of Putting Animal Parts in People
Xenotransplantation, as scientists call it, has always made some people squeamish, but the idea has persisted through the ages—and many failed attempts—because of its potential to save lives. “People would rather be alive than dead, basically,” David Hamilton, a retired transplant surgeon and author of A History of Organ Transplantation, told me. Organ donors are constantly in short supply; more than 106,000 Americans are on the national wait list, and 17 of them die waiting each day.
Animal-to-human transplantation is having a moment. In January, a man in Baltimore made history when he received a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig—and the heart actually worked. Just…
Resources
First pig-to-human heart transplant: what can scientists learn?
Researchers hope that a person who has so far lived for a week with a genetically modified pig heart will provide a trove of data on the possibilities of xenotransplantation.
Losing the Humanity of Transplants
Genetically altered animal organs may one day replace human donors—whose extraordinary generosity should be cherished.
The Medical Miracle of a Pig's Heart in a Human Body
The first successful transplantation may solve a donor shortage, but this major scientific advancement is not without challenges.
The Next Pig Thing in Medicine
Xenotransplantation is the future. Jayme Locke, the surgeon who headed the University of Alabama team, said she hopes to be able to offer pig-kidney transplants within five years.
The science behind the first successful pig-to-human heart transplant
The field’s recent flowering has long-established roots. For decades, researchers have attempted to tackle xenotransplantation’s fundamental problem. This is that the human body, when it recognises foreign tissue, has a tendency to turn against it.
20 Americans Die Each Day Waiting for Organs, Can Pigs Save Them?
ONE CONSEQUENCE OF xenotransplantation being always just around the corner is that pigs have been quietly insinuating their way into our bodies for some time now. Their pancreas glands have been used to make some types of insulin, and their intestinal tissue has been used to make the blood thinner heparin. Cardiac surgeons reach for pig heart valves to replace leaky and hardened human plumbing, and eye surgeons have affixed pig corneas to damaged human eyes.
A Big Step Forward In Solving The Organ Shortage
With the substantial progress made by scientists in the past 40 years, we’re beginning to see that widely available organs for transplants may soon become a reality.
A brief history of clinical xenotransplantation
The concept of xenotransplantation (cross-species transplantation) is not new, and there have been numerous clinical attempts during the past 300 years or more.
After a flurry of firsts, xenotransplantation is suddenly back in the spotlight
Xenotransplantation — putting animal organs into humans — is a centuries’ old idea that has been revived at multiple times throughout history as technological advances offer new hope of overcoming what has seemed like a never-ending parade of scientific hurdles.
Gene editing could open up animal organ transplants into humans
The clinical potential and ethical difficulty posed by gene-editing technology, which can “find and replace” targeted genes, is seemingly endless. But while public attention is focused on whether we should use it to change the genes of embryos, application of the technology to genetically modify pig tissues and organs for transplantation into humans could potentially have a bigger and more immediate impact on human health.
Is it okay to harvest pig kidneys to save human lives?
We’re starting to grow pigs to take their organs and put them in humans. Wait, what?
The Muslim Doctor Behind the First Cocaine-laced Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant
Sometimes, what’s taboo and controversial is exactly what can save human lives.
Using animal organs in humans: 'It's just a question of when'
Gene-editing technology has accelerated progress on animal organ transplant to the point where scientists will soon begin the first human trials.
A Brief History of Putting Animal Parts in People
Xenotransplantation, as scientists call it, has always made some people squeamish, but the idea has persisted through the ages—and many failed attempts—because of its potential to save lives.
Introducing Stitches!
Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!
Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.
