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Animals can become organ donors for humans
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Animal donor organs are set to solve the acute shortage of donor organs for humans. The aim of a new research project by Dr. Mohammad Mohiuddin was to test the theory of biocompatibility.
The research team transplanted genetically modified pig hearts into baboons, which were additionally given immunosuppressant drugs to avoid organ rejection. The pig heart was implanted into the animal's peritoneum, without completely replacing the baboon's heart, but was attached to the animal's vascular system.
The pig's heart functioned in the monkey's body for almost a year and a half, which allows scientists to hope for success in animal organ transplant operations. According to experts, this technology will allow replacing donor organs with animal ones or buying some time for a person who needs an urgent transplant.
Today, in the United States alone, there are more than 100,000 patients waiting for organ transplants, far outnumbering the number of donors. Dr. Mohiuddin's new technology will give hope for a normal life to thousands of people.
Transplantation of animal organs is called xenotransplantation, where the immune system's rejection of the foreign organ was the main problem.
Dr. Mohiuddin decided to solve the problem by genetically modifying donor animal organs. For this purpose, Dr. Mohiuddin and his colleagues removed the gene responsible for the process of rejection of foreign tissues in the human body from the pig heart (pigs were chosen as donors because they are physiologically similar to humans). The next step for the scientists will be a full transplant of the genetically modified pig heart to baboons. The research team cannot say exactly when clinical trials on humans will be conducted. The experts will be able to move forward only after a successful experiment on animals.
In the future, in addition to the heart, specialists intend to transplant other organs from animals to humans (lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas).
Already now, patients with fatal heart disease have hope for life with an artificial organ, which was created based on space technologies. The development of the artificial organ was carried out for 15 years and the first tests on volunteers from France have already taken place. Space technologies were taken in the development of the artificial organ because they are strong, durable and have high precision. Biological tissues, organic materials, as well as parts used in the construction of a satellite (reduced copies were taken for the heart) were used in the artificial heart. The new artificial heart is designed for more than 30 million closures and openings per year. On average, the service life of the artificial organ is 5 years. According to experts, the transplantation of an artificial organ will help patients avoid a long period of waiting for a donor organ (often the patient's heart stops before it is time for a transplant).
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