Home News Scientists raise first pigs for human organ transplants as Japan faces donor shortage

Scientists raise first pigs for human organ transplants as Japan faces donor shortage

by Kyodo
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Scientists Raise First Pigs For Human Organ Transplants As Japan

Scientists raise first pigs for human organ transplants as Japan faces donor shortage

A Japanese venture-led team has successfully bred three genetically modified pigs for use in human organ and cell transplants for the first time. Japanis suffering from a donor shortage, the company announced Tuesday.

However, the safety of such cross-species transplants will be investigated through further animal experiments for the time being, according to a venture company called Polmedtech, which was launched based on research from Meiji University’s International Institute for Bioresources. That’s what it means.

The team, which includes members of the US biotech company EGenesys, used cells supplied in September from the US company that modified 10 different genes to resist rejection by the human body, in order to produce pigs born on Sunday. , Polmedtech said in a release.

Customers play with micro pigs at a pig cafe in Tokyo.Photo: Associated Press

In October, fertilized eggs created using somatic cell cloning technology, which creates genetically identical individuals, were implanted into the womb of a surrogate mother pig. Three piglets were born by caesarean section.

Once the pigs are confirmed to have grown, they will be donated to a Japanese scientific institution to be used in research into organ transplantation into other animals, such as monkeys.

“We would like to use this as an opportunity to consider the challenges of human organ transplantation,” said Hiroshi Nagashima, founder and principal investigator of PolMedtech.

In Asia, most organ donors are women, but transplants are mostly performed on men: study

Transplantation of cells and organs from animals to humans, known as xenotransplantation, holds promise as a solution to the organ donor shortage.

According to the Japan Organ Transplant Network, approximately 16,000 people are currently registered as waiting for organ donation in Japan, but only about 3% of people receive an organ donation each year.

In Japan, there are plans to transplant pig islet cells into patients with type 1 diabetes and temporarily transplant pig kidneys into fetuses with severe kidney disease, but such procedures have not been carried out so far.

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Welcome to Daily Transplant News, your trusted source for the latest updates, stories, and information on transplantation and organ donations. We are passionate about sharing the inspiring journeys, groundbreaking research, and invaluable resources surrounding the world of transplantation.

About Us

Welcome to Daily Transplant News, your trusted source for the latest updates, stories, and information on transplantation and organ donations. We are passionate about sharing the inspiring journeys, groundbreaking research, and invaluable resources surrounding the world of transplantation.

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