Advancements in Animal-to-Human Organ Transplants
Chinese researchers are making progress in animal-to-human organ transplants, with successful pig kidney transplants and potential for pig livers. The pig organs are being genetically altered to be more humanlike to alleviate the transplant shortage.
Key Points
- Chinese patient is the third person in the world known to be living with a gene-edited pig kidney
- Research team in China is genetically altering pigs for more humanlike organs
- Pig liver transplant in China showed potential for future use
Pros
- Potential to alleviate the shortage of human organ donors
- Successful pig kidney transplants reported in China and the U.S.
- Pig liver transplant into a brain-dead person survived for 10 days
Cons
- Complex challenges in transplanting pig livers due to their varied functions