by Natasha Bhatt / April 26, 2024
Across the globe, the shortage of organs has remained a pressing concern with numerous lives awaiting for a transplant. For instance, with 70 patients in need for a cornea transplantation, only one cornea remains available. These shortages affect more than 12.7 million people. However, the recent discovery of xenotransplantation–the transplantation of animal organs into humans–shows a glimmer of hope.
In a study conducted by John Hopkins Medical Center, Dr. Bartley Griffith with his team achieved a milestone by successfully transplanting a pig heart into a human. This brings hopes to the millions of patients awaiting a transplant and hopes for a more advanced future.
In the past, xenotransplantation was unsuccessful with the organs only lasting a couple weeks post-transplant. However, with the use of genetic modification, organs have been able to prolong survival. The study mentions the use of CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing technology, used to modify animal genomes so that humans with animal organs can survive for much longer. The researchers believe that with the use of genetically modified organs, they can not only address the issue of organ shortage, but also reduce the rejection rate of organ transplant and ensure that the patient lives a long, and healthier life.
Recent coverage by CNN highlights the struggles Lawrence(Larry) Faucette and his wife Ann have had as a result of Lawrence’s sickness. Lawrence suffered from peripheral artery disease and end-stage heart failure. When all else came to fail, he was given an opportunity to have a xenotransplantation. Because of his condition, he was too frail for a human transplant; instead the doctors offered genetically modified pig transplant. Xenotransplantation had only been tested once on a living human before being tested on Larry. Six weeks following the transplantation, Larry had passed away, however, he was grateful for the chance to live longer and spend more time with his family. Larry, according to Ann, “thought that he could do something to really help others.” Following Larry’s heroic journey, a surgeon states that “in the future, it can be offered to patients on a regular basis and hopefully will save thousands or millions of lives.”
Citations:
Christensen, J. (2024, January 30). More people need transplants than there are organ donors. pigs might offer a solution. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/health/pig-organ-transplant-xenotransplantation/index.html
Sambhariya, W. S. (2023, December 7). An era of possibilities: A look into xenotransplantation. Biomedical Odyssey. https://biomedicalodyssey.blogs.hopkinsmedicine.org/2023/12/an-era-of-possibilities-a-look-into-xenotransplantation/
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