Scientists have successfully transplanted pig hearts into Anubis baboons, and hope to eventually place similar genetically modified pig organs into humans.
For around six months now, two Anubis baboons have gone about their normal lives with fully functioning pig hearts beating away in their chest. Genetic modifications to the pig hearts along with a new transplant technique are credited with the “longest yet” survival after such a transplant, researchers report December 5 in Nature. Previously, the longest a baboon lived after such a procedure was 57 days. In the same study, two other Baboons were able to survive with the pig hearts for over three months, and were in good health during that time.
After the transplant, some of the Baboons were said to have been climbing around their enclosures, whilst some enjoyed eating mangoes and eggs, and watching TV programs like “Tom and Jerry” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” says Bruno Reichart, a cardiac surgeon at “Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität” in Munich.
This research brings us ever closer to being able to use Pig organs safely in humans.
The pigs were engineered to produce a human version of the two proteins CD46, which blocks an immune response that attacks in foreign cells, and thrombomodulin, which prevents blood from clotting after surgery. Researchers also ensured that the pigs couldn’t make alpha-gal sugars, which coat the cells of all mammals except monkeys, apes and humans. Those sugars can provoke the immune system to attack organs transplanted from pigs into humans and other primates; the same immune system attack is launched when a person is bitten by an American tick, and can also be called the “meat allergy”.
There were 5 Baboons in the entire experiment, two lived 3 months and another two lived 6 months. One passed away before the 3 month milestone due to blood clots. Another passed away around the 6 month mark because their liver had been extensively damaged due to all the medication.The final Baboon allowed to live on past 6 months is said to be generally healthy.
