Xenotransplantation

• 08 Nov 2022

Why in News?

Genetically modified pig heart took longer than usual to beat for human receiver in the first-ever transplant of the gene-edited pig heart to human. The human recipient lived only for 61 days after the transplant.

• Prior attempts at such transplants have also failed.

What is Xenotransplantation?

• About:
  • Xenotransplantation involves the transplantation of nonhuman tissues or organs into human recipients.
    • In the recent heart transplant from pig to human, gene-editing was adopted to remove a sugar in its cells that’s responsible for that hyper-fast organ rejection.
      • Genome editing (also called gene editing) is a group of technologies that give scientists the ability to change an organism's Deoxy-Ribonucleic Acid (DNA).
  • One of the biggest obstacles to transplantation is organ rejection.
• Significance:
  • This development could bring us one step closer to solving the global organ shortage.
    • In India, patients need 25,000-30,000 liver transplants annually. But only about 1,500 end up receiving them.
  • Pigs are increasingly becoming popular candidates for organ transplantation.
    • Pigs offer advantages over primates for organ procurements, because they are easier to raise and achieve adult human size in six months.
      • The pig’s anatomical and physiological parameters are similar to that of humans, and the breeding of pigs in farms is widespread and cost-effective.

Source: DTE