HOW CAN WE OVERCOME THE HUMAN ORGAN SHORTAGE?
How can we overcome the organ shortage? Xenotransplantation might become a viable solution for the numerous people waiting for an organ donation.
Researchers discovered years ago similarities between human and pig physiology and designed transplant procedures that could become possibilities for people in need for vital organs.
Doctors at NYU Langone Health completed a two-hour procedure to transplant a kidney from a genetically modified pig into a deceased person. With family consent, a ventilator supported the individual’s vitals during the procedure. The surgical team connected the genetically modified pig kidney to the deceased’s blood vessels.
Their primary objective was to determine how the body’s immune system would react to the modified pig organ.
The team watched for 54 hours to assess the results. The modified organ worked as a typical kidney, producing urine and the usual waste such as creatinine.
eGenesis and Revivicor are producing these modified pigs for further research. Such xenotransplantation can become possible for the clinical setting. This NYU Langone Health success is transformative with respect to organ transplant procedures and gives hope for the 107,000 people on the organ list waiting for treatment.
We continue to see more advances in regenerative medicine as treatments. Please watch this space as the innovations move forward.
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