Pig Organs Transplant

Science/Health - Who would imagine that animal organs can be transplanted to humans despite the incompatibility,rejection,and risk? That experimentation is a must and there is no other options but the animals for if not many humans will die because they not gone organ transplant.Scientists have studied the possibility; the possibility if animal to human organ transplant.



Recently, they have found an animal that could met the need - that is the pig or porcine.Porcine or pig have said to be to have a similar organs in size and functions to humans; thus they are the possible organ donor.

"Porcine organs are considered favorable resources for xenotransplantation since they are similar to human organs in size and function,and can be bred in large numbers." (Independent)

The organ transplant procedure is called "Xenotransplantation". Xenotransplantation is getting and transferring of cells,tissues,and organs from one species into another; it is transplanting organs,cell,or tissues into another species.

"Xenotransplantation is any procedure that involves the transplantation,implantation or infusion into a human recipient of either (a) live cells,tissues,or organs from a nonhuman animal source,or (b) human body fluids,cells,tissues or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells,tissues or organs." (US Food And Drug)

"Xenotransplantation or heterologous transplant is the transplantation of living cells,tissues or organs from one species to another." (Wikipedia)

Xenotransplantation will address the need and demand for organ donor of those waiting fro organ transplant to save them from dying or death because of not having an operation or organ transplant.

Then,it is studied if xenotransplantation is safe and have no bad effects to humans; it is then discovered that there is indeed a risk on it,that is because of the discovery of the existence of virus on the pig's genes or DNA that is can be transfer or transmitted to humans and cause disease or bad effects.But now that problem have been addressed.Scientists have successfully removed the virus using gene-editing technology.They edited the gene of the pig and develop a virus-free piglets or pigs that can be a safe organ donor to humans.

That virus present on pig's gene or DNA is called PERV (Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus) or it is a retrovirus.A retrovirus is a virus that inserts its gene into the gene or DNA it invades.

"Retroviruses are a group or viruses that carry their genetic material in ribonucleic acid (RNA) and are named because of the enzyme reverse transcriplase that transforms RNA into DNA.The retrovirus group can cause various cancers,neurodegenerarive disorders,and notoriously HIV." (NHS)

"That risk of infection had been the primary thing that shut down plans to develop xenotransplantation...... fearing that the challenge of PERVs wouldn't be overcome." (Independent)

"Scientists have cleared a major barrier to transplanting organs from pigs into humans after removing threatening viruses from the animal's DNA." (Independent)

However,there are also other risk,that is if the human body reject the organ of the pig or may not be compatible.