Genetically engineered pigs help in transplantation
Every year, millions of patients die while waiting for a suitable organ transplant. In order to help these people, surgery professor David Sachs discovered that genetically engineered pigs is able to provide a safe and reliable source of donor organs. (Emily S., 2006)
Pigs have a specific sugar, alpha 1, 3 galactose, attached to the pig cell which is not present in humans. (Richard B., 2002) When an ordinary pig organ is transplanted to human, antibodies circulating in the human blood immediately gather and attack the pig tissue and lead to the death of the organ or even death of the patient. (Emily S., 2006) By genetic engineering, 1, 3-galactosyltransferase (Richard B., 2002), a gene responsible for adding sugar to the cell surface, is removed. (Roger D., 2002) Pigs are also modified to a smaller size with organs that have similar size of that of humans. Transplanting organs form genetically engineered pigs would cause less stress to the human immune system after operation.
As the longest survival of animal using this method of transplant is only 83 days, the transplantation has only tried on animals but not human. Professor Sachs thinks that the procedure will be ready to try on patients, as soon as 5 years. (Emily S., 2006) It is believed that pig-to-human transplants will soon be the best solution to deal with the continuing shortage of donor organs.
Pigs have a specific sugar, alpha 1, 3 galactose, attached to the pig cell which is not present in humans. (Richard B., 2002) When an ordinary pig organ is transplanted to human, antibodies circulating in the human blood immediately gather and attack the pig tissue and lead to the death of the organ or even death of the patient. (Emily S., 2006) By genetic engineering, 1, 3-galactosyltransferase (Richard B., 2002), a gene responsible for adding sugar to the cell surface, is removed. (Roger D., 2002) Pigs are also modified to a smaller size with organs that have similar size of that of humans. Transplanting organs form genetically engineered pigs would cause less stress to the human immune system after operation.
As the longest survival of animal using this method of transplant is only 83 days, the transplantation has only tried on animals but not human. Professor Sachs thinks that the procedure will be ready to try on patients, as soon as 5 years. (Emily S., 2006) It is believed that pig-to-human transplants will soon be the best solution to deal with the continuing shortage of donor organs.
Debbie Liu
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Primary Reference:
Emily S., 2006, Pig-to-Human Transplants on the Horizon, Technology Review, Accessed 29-5-2007, Available at: http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/17596/
Secondary References:
Richard B., 2002, Cloned pigs raise transplant hopes, BBC Science Correspondent, Accessed 28-5-2007, Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2210306.stm
Roger D., 2002, Scientists produce genetically engineered, cloned pigs for xenotransplantation, BMJ, Accessed 28-5-2007, Available at: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7329/67
Roger D., 2002, Scientists produce genetically engineered, cloned pigs for xenotransplantation, BMJ, Accessed 28-5-2007, Available at: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7329/67
