A Modified Pig: The Past & Future of Organ Transplants

In the world of science and medicine, there are always many breakthroughs waiting for those who worked hard. And recently, one of those was in the organ transplant industry: Doctors have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig heart into a patient.

The groundbreaking procedure took place on January 7th of this year, performed by a team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA. The recipient was a 57-year-old terminally ill man with heart disease. The man didn’t qualify to receive a human organ transplant, and due to his terminal heart disease, xenotransplant was the only available option for his survival. After retrieval, the pig heart was preserved with XVIVO’s heart perfusion device, pumping an oxygenated solution through the organ. This procedure has proved that current technology makes a heart transplant from another species capable but does raise moral and animal rights questions.

However, we should note here that the pig was bred, altered, and sacrificed for this purpose. Anyway, though this procedure still isn’t available for all and needs further approval, it could open the door to saving more recipients’ lives. Currently, people waiting for transplants outweigh the donated organs from living and deceased donors. That means that people need to wait from weeks to several years for an organ, whether a kidney, liver, heart, pancreas, or others, and some don’t even get the chance of a transplant. Some organs, like kidneys, are unique since our bodies have two, and most only need one to function. That means that donors could decide to live with just one and donate the other to the thousands who need it, hoping it would end up useful, though that could slightly raise the risk of kidney failure and other diseases in the donor.

The idea of transplanting organs from another animal isn’t new. There are even thoughts of breeding two species’ cells to make a more powerful organ. However, there is always the chance of the organ getting rejected. That is another reason why waiting lists are so long. The system compares factors, such as blood types and body size, between the donor and the recipient. Only when there is a matchup should the organ get on the way to transplant. But that the procedure needs to happen fast, even with technology supporting the organ’s function. Some would choose to donate their organs after they die, though factors decide if they can get transplanted. Ideally, the donor should die from “total loss of brain function,” while the organs are still hopefully working well, could they get retrieved for transplant.

Most countries compare factors like who needs the organ most and would likely survive, accepting the new organ. They try to ensure equality for everyone and divide the country into regions. Because some places are healthier, they can’t donate as many organs as those frequent stroke areas. A stroke usually results in brain malfunction and death, while the organs could get donated. However, in the healthier regions, people are less likely to suffer this way. Since the organs get prioritized to those in that area, people of stroke regions have a less waiting time for transplant than those in healthier places. That means some still don’t get equality.

So others consider switching back to the traditional market. Though in that case, the richer could price out the poor. And it could be that the poor person needs the organ more than the rich person, and it still wouldn’t be a fair system.

But in the future, maybe scientists could balance out the demand. We can already genetically alter pigs. So why don’t we take further steps? Some suggest 3D printing organs using cells from the recipient. Who knows? Our world is changing, and improvements are what we’re at best. That is the end of this production from the New News Newsminute. Thank you, and tune in next time for more updates and analysis.