Key Takeaways
The world’s first pig to human heart transplant – may have died of ‘a porcine virus’ present in the pig’s heart, Massachusetts Institute of Technology has said in its latest report quoting transplant specialists.
About Porcine Virus
- Porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV), also known as inclusion body rhinitis (IBR) occurs in all age groups of previously uninfected swine, including developing foetuses.
- PCMV occurs only in pigs although similar infections with related viruses occur in many other species, including people.
About Xenotransplantation
- Xenotransplantation is any procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion into a human recipient of either
- live cells, tissues, or organs from a nonhuman animal source, or
- human body fluids, cells, tissues or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues or organs.
- The development of xenotransplantation is, in part, driven by the fact that the demand for human organs for clinical transplantation far exceeds the supply.
- Historical Xenotransplantation
- Why was Pig chosen for Heart Transplantation?
- Pig heart valves have been used for replacing damaged valves in humans for over 50 years now.
- There are several advantages to using the domesticated or farmed pig (Sus scrofa domestica) as the donor animal for xenotransplantation.
- 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.
- Also, many varieties of pig breeds are farmed, which provides an opportunity for the size of the harvested organs to be matched with the specific needs of the human recipient.
- Genetically engineered pig
- Significance in India
- According to the health ministry, around 0.18 million people in India are estimated to suffer from renal failure every year, but only about 6,000 renal transplants are carried out in the country.
- About 25,000-30,000 liver transplants are needed annually in India but only about 1,500 are being performed.
- In the case of the heart, 50,000 people suffer from heart failure and are in need of a heart transplant.
- Yet, only 10-15 heart transplants are carried out in India each year.
- Challenges in Xenotransplantation
- Short term functioning of organs: Pigs have shorter life span than human it will leads to question that how long the organ will function
- Disease transmission: The risk of transmitting viruses that originated in animals through xenotransplantation is a real killer and raises concers of possible subsequent transmission to the general human population
- Risk: Animal to human transplantation brings with it huge risks for the patient. Even well-matched human donor organs can be rejected after they are transplanted
- Unethical : PETA Condemn the practice of Xenotransplantion
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