Over 100,000 Americans are on the waiting list for donor organs, most of whom need kidneys. Only 25,000 human donor kidneys are available each year. On average, 12 Americans on the kidney list die every day.
Scientists first transplanted genetically modified pig organs into other animals, then into brain-dead human patients. In 2022, researchers were allowed to transplant organs into several critically ill patients, and last year they were allowed to transplant them into healthier people.
For the first time, formal clinical research of the procedure is now underway.
“Imagine having kidney disease and knowing your kidneys will fail. You know that your pig kidneys are waiting for you. You will never see dialysis.
He foresees a future where genetic engineering is compatible with humans that will not require patients to take powerful drugs to prevent rejection, but will become vulnerable to infections and cancer.
A baby born with a serious heart defect may be given a pig's heart temporarily while waiting for the heart of a human donor. Pig livers can potentially function as a bridge for people who need human livers.
Some scientists argue that there is a moral obligation to move forward.
“Is it ethical to die on a waiting list every year when there's something that can save lives?” asked Dr. David KC Cooper, a consultant at Harvard University who studied xenotransplants and Egenesis.
“I think it's starting to become ethically unacceptable to letting people die when there are alternative therapies that seem quite encouraging.”
However, critics say xenografts are hub-harmed, pie-in-the-skiing efforts aimed at solving the organ shortage of technology, if there is a simpler solution: expanding the supply of human organs by encouraging more donations.
There are unanswered questions about xenografts.
Pigs can carry pathogens that can find their way into humans. For example, if a deadly virus appears in transplant patients, it can spread with devastating consequences.
Christopher Bovier, a bioethicist at the University of Central Michigan School of Medicine, warned that it may take years for symptoms to be observed.
“Potential zoonotic transport can occur at any time after implantation, that is, forever,” he said. The risk is considered small, he added. “But that's not zero.”
