The procedure was hailed as a historic step as doctors tackle a widespread organ donor shortage.

The procedure was hailed as a historic step as doctors tackle a widespread organ donor shortage.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/65TrN

  • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.caEnglish
    15·
    9 months ago

    This was a big idea decades ago, and then I didn’t hear anything about it until recently. I’m glad it was working away.

    From what I read a long time ago, pig anatomy is actually pretty similar to humans. So it would be pretty cool to be able to harvest all sorts of organs.

    • lemming@sh.itjust.works
      5·
      9 months ago

      There were some compatibility problems that required genetic engineering of the pig. I don’t remember specifics, but there was talk about potential dormant viruses in pig DNA that need to be removed first, possible problems with glycolsylation (sugar chains on the proteins outside of cells) and maybe more. The article also mentions that the pig had some human genes, I’m sure those help compatibility too. So many changes would be next to impossible to do until relatively recently, before use of CRISPR-Cas9. Also, it must’ve taken some time to certify the procedure. That’s why it took so much time since the topic was hot.

    • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      9 months ago

      Not just anatomy! I gather that hormones and other chemical factors are very similar.

      Somebody smarter than me chime in?

      • thefartographer@lemm.ee
        21·
        9 months ago

        Not smarter than you, but are they gonna offer this as an elective surgery? I want peepee that seems like bacon.