Transplantation using an animal organ, or xenotransplantation, has been proposed as a valid option to save human lives. "Until we learn to grow organs via tissue engineering, which is unlikely in the near future, xenotransplantation seems to be a valid approach to supplement human organ availability.
Despite many setbacks over the years, recent genetic and immunologic advancements have helped revitalized progress in the xenotransplantation field," comments lead investigator Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, MD, of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Program at the NHLBI.
Genetically engineered pigs and target-specific immunomodulation provide significant graft survival and hope for clinical cardiac xenotransplantation. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (2014) | DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2014.06.002