PIGMAN! Crossing Species Through Transplantation!

Thousands of people are dying each year around the globe due to lack of organ donors. With new medical research the possibility of increasing availability will come from the meat on our dinner plates. This research has come with enormous costs and faced many hurdles to make the dream a reality.

Scientists firstly had to overcome a hurdle and develop a species that lacked the gene that causes rejection and had similarities of human organs. On discovering it was the genetically engineered pig they further developed a miniature pig which had this gene knocked out of them. The human body’s immune system aggressively rejects foreign tissue when antibodies attach to sugar molecules on the surface of the pig organ cells. The gene which has been eliminated from the pig DNA is 1,3-galactosyltransferase which is responsible for making the enzyme which adds sugar to the surface of the cells. Developing this was one of the biggest challenges scientists faced to make xenotransplantation a reality.

The possibility of organ donation from pigs comes with major obstacles such as developing a powerful immune barrier, ethical issues relating to patients and society and a risk of transmitting microorganisms. If all factors are eliminated, the reality and possibility of the transplantations could become a milestone in human health and medical research. It could also bring hope to people and give extended precious time to live their lives when once could not be possible.

By Alexandra Edwards
Student No: 40782432


REFERENCES:

Cooper, D., 2003.Clinical xenotransplantation – how close are we. The Lancet 362, 557-559

Dobson, R., 2002. Scientists produce genetically engineered, cloned pigs for xenotransplantation. BMJ Journal 324, 70.

Groth, C., 2007. Prospects in xenotransplantation: a personal view. Transplantation Proceedings 39, 685-687.