Scientists Successfully Transplant Genetically Modified Pig Hearts Into Dead Humans

New York University researchers have successfully modified pigs hearts into two recently deceased individuals connected to ventilators.

NYU

The surgeries are the next big step in the field of animal-to-human transplants -- also known as xenotransplantation -- that could help us create a future where organ supplies aren’t gulfed with shortages.?

What differentiates these heart transplants from a conventional human-to-human heart transplant was the organ itself. Researchers performed the transplants on June 16 and July 9th with each recipient being monitored for three days.

During that time, hearts functioned normally, not showing any signs of rejection from the recipients who were hooked up to ventilators to allow their body processes to function properly even after their death.

The two recipients weren’t able to be organ donors, however, they were still able to participate in whole-body donation for such a kind of research.

How were the hearts made?

The hearts came from biotechnology company Revivicor which made use of genetically modified pigs. These included the blocking of four pig genes in order to prevent rejection, as well as the addition of six human genes.?

A living individual was successfully given a pig heart made by the same company in early January. While the patient responded well initially, they eventually died in March due to heart failure. The cause for the failure remains unknown but infection with a pig virus could have added to the issues.?

Unsplash

As per the experts, pig hearts are free from viruses, but some can get hard to detect. Thus, the team at NYU implemented enhanced screening protocols for its transplants. Moreover, they dedicated an operating theatre specifically for the xenotransplantation which won’t be used for other procedures.

Robert Montgomery, the director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, said during a press briefing, that testing transplants on dead patients is still important even though a pig heart has already been transplanted into a living person. This could help with the ‘learning, studying, measuring and trying to unravel what is going on with this brand new technology.”

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