While the scientific world continues to work on pig organs in order to speed up organ transplantation in humans and turn it into a more accessible process, another first has been achieved recently. The new research, published in the journal Nature, revealed that dead pig organs have been brought back to life.
According to the shared information, dead cells in pig organs were revived an hour after they died, thanks to a newly developed technology. The technology that drove the new success was OrganEx technology, which was previously derived from BrainEx technology that brought pig brains back to life hours later.
How does the new technology work?
In the new OrganEx system, scientists first connect the machine in the system to the living thing’s circulatory system. The machine generates a pulse, similar to a heartbeat, thus allowing the cells to be oxygenated. After that, synthetic fluid mixed with its own blood is pumped into the creature. This fluid, unlike blood, is not made up of cells, but is designed to protect cells from damage and to carry oxygen and drugs throughout the body.
The scientists tested the new system 1 hour after the pigs’ heart stopped, just after the blood flow was cut off. It was announced that a total of 100 pigs were used from the development of the system to the testing phase. The system allowed to preserve tissue of organs in pigs, reduce cell death and maintain certain molecular and cellular processes in vital organs such as heart, brain, liver and kidneys.
An interesting thing happened:
The scientists also tested whether OrganEx could work in rejuvenating the brain. Although brain death continued in the group in which the OrganEx system was tested, physical mobility was observed in the head and neck after the fluid was injected into the body. The scientists reported that this condition, which was only seen in the OrganEx group, requires further investigation of the re-activation of motor functions.
So what will the new discovery do?
Human testing of the new system isn’t going to happen anytime soon. But according to scientists, OrganEx will hold great potential for human organ transplantation. The system will allow organs to be transported over longer distances to recipients in need, and will extend the time that the organ can be preserved during the transplant process.
In addition, it will protect the organs of individuals who lost their lives due to reasons such as heart attack, drowning and heavy blood loss. People can be brought back to life hours after their death.
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