Researchers from New York University (NYU) announced that they had successfully transplanted genetically modified pig hearts to two people who had recently died on ventilators. The surgeries are described as the latest step in animal-to-human transplantation or xenotransplantation this year. It raises hopes for organ transplantation.
Pig hearts are not rejected by the human body
The only thing different about this heart transplant from a normal human-to-human heart transplant is the organ itself, the research team said in a statement. The team performed the transplants on June 16 and July 9, and each recipient was followed for three days.
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The hearts continued to function normally for three days. The pig heart was also not in any way rejected by respirators to keep the body functioning semi-regularly after death.
Nader Moazami, director of heart transplantation at NYU Langone Transplant Institute, used the following statements on the subject.
Our goal is to integrate applications used in a typical daily heart transplant only with a non-human organ that will function normally without additional assistance from untested devices or drugs.
The two pig hearts were provided by the biotechnology company Revivicor, which produces genetically modified pigs and also funded the research. Pigs had 10 genetic modifications. Four of these modifications were made to block the pig genes and be accepted into the human body, while the other 6 modifications were transplanted into the human gene.
In early January, a pig heart, also produced by Revivicor, was successfully transplanted into a living person at the University of Maryland Medical Center. David Bennett Sr., who has severe heart disease, initially responded well to the transplant but died of heart failure in March.
The cause of death of the transplant recipient is not yet known. However, infection with a swine virus may have caused the person’s death. It is stated that the pig hearts used in transplantation should not contain viruses. However, experts state that it is very difficult to detect viruses in these hearts.
Although a pig heart has been transplanted into a living person, testing transplants in dead patients is still of great importance, said Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute.
Studies are also being carried out for other organ transplants at New York University. Kidney xenotransplantation is one of them. Last fall, NYU announced that it had successfully ligated a pig kidney to the leg of a patient on a ventilator.
With the latest developments, organ transplantation may become much easier. We hope that the studies will be successful as soon as possible and there will be hope for those who are waiting for an organ transplant. So what do you think about organ transplants using animals? You can share your views with us in the comments section.