They create transgenic pig to donate organs to humans

The future of organ transplants is heading to take a different direction to the one that has so far led. This is because a team of South Korean scientists got genetically modify a pork in order to raise the possibilities of using their organs in humans .

To date, the biggest problem in this type of experiment is that the human body, by means of the immune system , almost immediately repels the organs outsiders that are not compatible with the.

From this fact, the researchers have obtained that the pig, which they baptized with the name of Somang-i, produce an antigen that reduces the chances of hyperacute rejection from an animal to a human transplant.

The pig in question has a great value, say the researchers, because it could cross with other animals of its species as well. genetically modified to explore the feasibility of more durable transplants.

Hopeful background

In 2009, this same team of scientists successfully modified another pig, which they called Xeno, which had the particularity of eliminating from its tissues one of the enzymes that cause the acute rejection of animal organs in the human body.

In 2010 it was possible to add another copy of that species, baptized as Mideumi, a new gene that reduced the risk of acute rejection of the transplanted organ.

South Korean scientists work intensively in the field of xenotransplantation . Advances in this field would mean a great step to eradicate the terrible shortage of donors , which would save many lives.

The pig is considered an ideal animal for transplants since its organs have similar size to those of humans, although for the moment they have only been able to transplant with relatively positive results to chimpanzees.

Source: Excelsior


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