While the scientific world continues to work with pig organs to make organ transplantation much more accessible, a pig heart transplant was performed for the first time in the world in recent months. However, the person died shortly after the transplant. It was announced just the other day that the reason for this loss was not the pig’s heart itself or the organ rejection.
On the other hand, scientists who continue to work on genetically modified pig heart transplantation have also taken the next steps. The pig heart was successfully transplanted into two more humans. The first transplant was performed in mid-June, while the second transplant was done on 6 July. However, these transplants were performed on individuals who had brain death, unlike the first transplant.
Both hearts worked smoothly:
Scientists shared information about both transplants at the conference they organized. According to the statements made, both of the transplanted hearts managed to function for at least 72 hours. 10 genetic modifications were made in the hearts. Four of these were porcine to prevent transplant rejection and abnormal growth, and six were human transgenes designed to make human and porcine organs more compatible.
It was stated that more research is needed before pig heart transplantation becomes a routine procedure. Accordingly, scientists will continue to work to make genetically modified pig organs more compatible within the human body. In addition, it will be ensured that unforeseen risks such as the risk of transmission of an infection in pigs to humans are eliminated.
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