In a groundbreaking medical development, pig organs are being used in xenotransplantation, offering hope for those suffering from organ shortages. Last year, a 62-year-old man survived for nearly two months with a pig kidney before dying from sudden heart disease, as reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. This success, although short-lived, has spurred growing optimism about the potential of animal organs to address the global shortage of human donor organs.
Xenotransplantation, the process of transplanting animal organs into humans, has been studied for decades but only recently received approval for clinical trials in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration has sanctioned trials for pig kidney transplants, with biotech companies United Therapeutics and eGenesis planning to include up to 50 participants this summer. To prevent organ rejection, the pigs are genetically modified, with research being conducted not only in the U.S. but also at leading German institutions like the Technical University of Munich and Ludwig Maximilian University.
The focus of this research is on modifying the pig organs to make them compatible with human recipients, specifically altering sugar structures on the surface of pig cells, which human bodies normally reject. Researchers in Munich are among the leaders in this field, with Konrad Fischer, the head of the xenotransplantation section at the Technical University of Munich, emphasizing their readiness to perform these procedures.
Pigs are considered the most viable donors due to their anatomical compatibility with humans. However, transplant surgeons like Philipp Felgendreff of Hannover Medical School caution that while some recipients have survived for months with pig organs, human organ transplants typically offer much longer survival rates, sometimes lasting up to 20 years.
One of the significant challenges of xenotransplantation is preventing the transmission of viruses from pigs to humans. Joachim Denner from the Free University of Berlin is working on reducing the risk of viral transmission, including developing vaccines against porcine retroviruses, which are integrated into the pig genome and cannot be eliminated through breeding alone.
Xenotransplantation could eventually provide solutions for various organ transplants, such as kidneys, hearts, livers, and lungs. United Therapeutics plans to enroll patients who cannot receive human transplants for medical reasons. The success of these trials could offer life-saving opportunities for those on organ waiting lists, bringing xenotransplantation closer to becoming a mainstream solution.
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