“The transplanted kidneys filtered blood, produced urine and, importantly, were not immediately rejected,” said the University of Alabama in the city of Birmingham. The kidneys remained active for 77 hours before the experiment was terminated. The kidneys of a genetically modified pig were used for the transplant. The genetic changes are intended to prevent the human body from rejecting the organs.
Ideal donor animal
Because of the lack of donor organs, researchers have high hopes for the so-called xenotransplantation of animal organs into humans. Heart valves from pigs and pigskin for burn victims are already being transplanted. The animals are considered ideal donor animals because of their size, rapid growth and good breeding characteristics. Recently, US physicians from the University of Maryland had successfully implanted a pig heart in a patient for the first time. This was not a brain-dead patient.
Source: Nachrichten
