Xenotransplantation: NYU Researchers Succeed in Animal-to-Human Transplant Using Genetically Modified Pig Hearts

The New York University announced early today that scientists succeeded in transplanting genetically modified pig hearts into two recently dead humans connected to ventilators.

The surgeries, as specified in a The Verge report, are the latest step ahead in the field of animal-to-human transplants, also called "xenotransplantation," which has shown a flurry of success so far this year, increasing hopes for a new, continuous supply of organs to lessen shortages.

The organ itself was the only thing different about these heart transplants from a standard human-to-human heart transplant.

According to the director of heart transplantation at the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, their goal is to integrate the practices applied in a usual, everyday heart transplant, "only with a nonhuman organ that will normally work," minus additional support from untested devices or medicines.

Pig Hearts

The team carried out the transplantations on June 16 and July 9, and each of the two recipients was observed and monitored for three days.

During that time, the hearts functioned normally, and there were no indications of rejection from the recipients, who were connected to ventilators to keep their bodies functioning semi-regularly and even after their death.

Both recipients did not become organ donors, although they could participate in the whole-body donation for this type of study.

The two pig hearts came from Revivicor, a biotechnology firm that produces genetically modified pigs.

The said pigs had ten genetic changes, which include four "to block pig genes and prevent rejection, and six to add human genes," as indicated in a report from PR Newswire.

Designated Operating Room for Xenotransplantation

In early January, a living human was successfully given a pig heart, also produced by Revivicor, at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

David Bennet Sr., who suffered from severe heart disease, at first, responded well to the transplant, although he died in March due to heart failure.

The particular cause remains unknown, although infection with a pig virus may have contributed to his death. The pig hearts are supposed to be virus-free, although according to experts, they can be difficult to detect.

The NYU team said, a related Reuters report specified, it introduced further virus screening protocols for transplants. More so, the team dedicated an operating room for xenotransplantation, a room that will not be used for any other surgical procedure.

Renewable, Sustainable Source of Organs

Testing transplants on dead patients remains essential, even though a pig heart has already been transplanted into a living human, according to the NYU Langone Transplant Institute's Robert Montgomery.

He added, indeed, the focus is on learning, examining, gauging, and trying to solve what is going on with this brand-new, remarkable technology.

For instance, the team was able to take biopsies every day. The team of scientists at the University of Maryland could not investigate the transplant in as much detail since the recipient was still alive.

Montgomery explained that there is still a lot to learn about xenotransplantation, not to mention a lot to discover about the ethical implications of animal-to-human transplantations.

However, if they work, he continued, they could provide a new option to thousands of individuals on wait lists for organs.

Lastly, Montgomery said, he believes xenotransplantation provides the best chance for a "renewable, sustainable source of organs" so that no one will have to die as he awaits an organ donor.

A report about the recent pig heart transplants is shown on Reuter's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Surgery in Science Times.