Posted on 07/12/2022 10:57:10 PM PDT by algore
Researchers successfully transplanted genetically modified pig hearts into two recently deceased people connected to ventilators, the New York University team announced today.
The surgeries are the latest step forward in the field of animal-to-human transplants, or xenotransplantation, which has seen a flurry of successes so far this year — raising hopes for a new, steady supply of organs to ease shortages.
The only thing different about these heart transplants from a normal human-to-human heart transplant was the organ itself, the research team said in a statement. “Our goal is to integrate the practices used in a typical, everyday heart transplant, only with a nonhuman organ that will function normally without additional aid from untested devices or medicines,” said Nader Moazami, director of heart transplantation at the NYU Langone Transplant Institute.
The team performed the transplants on June 16th and July 9th, and each recipient was monitored for three days. In that time, the hearts functioned normally, and there weren’t signs of rejection from the recipients, who were connected to ventilators to keep their body processes functioning semi-regularly, even after death.
The two recipients were not able to be organ donors but were able to participate in whole-body donation for this type of research.
The two pig hearts came from biotechnology company Revivicor, which produces genetically modified pigs (and also funded the research). The pigs had 10 genetic modifications — four to block pig genes and prevent rejection and six to add human genes.
A living person was successfully given a pig heart, also produced by Revivicor, in early January at the University of Maryland Medical Center. David Bennett Sr., who had severe heart disease, initially responded well to the transplant but died in March of heart failure.
The specific cause is still unknown, but infection with a pig virus may have contributed to his death. The pig hearts are supposed to be free of viruses, but experts say they can be hard to detect.
Just think, Al Gore could really become a “Manbearpig!”
Were they muslim?
Will I need to supress the urge to wallow and frolic in every mudpit I drive by during rainy season?
https://pekinghomunculus.blogspot.com/
Honestly, I always wanted to get a Peking homuculus for my kids too.
Genetically engineered pig hearts transplanted into dead people
Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie.
Good idea for a superhero. Get all genetic modified body parts from animals. The eyes of an eagle, the ears of a bloodhound, the claws of a bear, the fangs of a tiger, and the schlong of a horse.
NYC seems a super expensive place to do medical experiments, except for being the world epicenter for billionaires. Whole body transplants from the neck down will be popular someday, although with a billion dollar price tag.
“Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie.”
Or the end of a romantic one.
I was curious if the article was going to say the hearts revived the dead recipients.
And eat from the slop buvket
“....recently DECEASED people connected to ventilator....”
Okie dokie.
No comment on this story, but I bet there’s some extreme experimentation going on in CHI-nuh. I’d hate to be an animal or slave over there.
Nothing beats “Provasic”
Those hearts are great but they have a side effect in that you cannot control the urge to roll around in the mud.
“...Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie....”
“The Rise of the Piginstines!!!!”
When this becomes normal and accepted, I’ll be called xenotransplantationphobic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.