Surgeons in New York have successfully connected to a human - for the first time in the world - a kidney that had grown in the body of a genetically modified pig. The organ was functioning normally, which probably paves the way for a new source of organs for transplantation from animals.
Although many questions remain to be answered about the long-term effects of such a transplant, experts believe that the achievement is a milestone in the field of xenografting (transplantation between different species of living beings). The operation was performed at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, according to the New York Times, and was performed by a medical team led by Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of the NYU Lang Transplant Institute. has even made a relevant publication in a medical journal.
The kidney came from a pig that had been genetically modified so that the organ would not be rejected by the human body. The organ was not transplanted normally, but was implanted through blood vessels outside the abdomen, into the upper leg of a mechanically supported brain dead man who had previously been declared an organ donor. The kidney started producing urine and creatinine almost immediately.
Montgomery said that if the organ functioned normally attached to the outside of the body, it would probably work just as well if transplanted normally. "Things went better than expected. It looked like any implant I have used from a living donor. Many kidneys from the dead do not work immediately and take days or weeks to get started. That worked immediately. "
"We need to know more about the longevity of the organ," said Dori Segev, a professor of transplant surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. But it is a huge step forward. It is a very, very great achievement ".
Scientists have long been trying to develop organs in pigs suitable for transplantation into humans, as there are long waiting lists for various organs (kidneys, heart, lungs, liver). Largely due to the lack of kidneys for transplantation, the vast majority of dialysis patients are unable to acquire new organs.
The prospect of pig organs is expected to raise bioethical issues, in particular as to whether animals are being exploited by humans. So while some doctors hope it will be a matter of a few months before people start transplanting kidneys from pigs, others think it takes longer. Among other things, there are concerns about swine viruses that could infect humans.
cnn.gr