during the past years organ transplant from animal to human The subject has become a notable research topic. However, a number of problems encountered with this method still make this treatment option limited.

For example, animal organs can often be incompatible with the human body and our immune system risk of organ rejection It can keep you alive.

Agree successful removal of an animal’s organ Let’s imagine it being transplanted into a human. In such a case, is it still possible to experience the health problems that we experience in our organs?

Organ transplantation from animals to humans is a procedure that has been performed for a long time.

Organs obtained from animals means transplantation to humans xenotransplantation There are a few difficulties in the process. Factors such as incompatibility issues, immune rejection and infection risks are factors that complicate this process.

Today, organ transplantation is known as an important treatment method that saves the lives of many people. However Limited organ donation and incompatibility issues This leaves many patients struggling to meet this essential need. This is exactly where xenotransplantation, which we call animal-to-human transplantation, comes into play.

We actually learned about this method a long time ago, thanks to simple blood transfusions and skin grafts.

Stephanie Fae Beauclair

However, as xenotransplantation became more sophisticated, trials such as heart transplants from chimpanzees to humans began in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the first attempts were unsuccessful because the organs could not provide sufficient support. Later in 1992, a Attempts have been made to transplant the liver of a baboon monkey into humans.

There was no long-term success in these attempts. Baby Fae, which took place in 1983 In the incident, a baboon heart was transplanted to a girl, but the baby’s life lasted only twenty days.

In the past, it was very difficult to find suitable donors for organ transplantation and treatments such as dialysis had not yet been developed.

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The US in the 1960s Keith Reemtsma, from Tulane University, He proposed the idea that kidneys from non-human primates could be used to solve this problem. At that time, organ transplants were mainly done through chimpanzee transplants. However, most of these attempts failed due to rejection or infection.

After the research led by Reemtsma, another important step was taken in the field of organ transplantation from animals to humans in 2022. Surgeons at New York University Langone HospitalThey have successfully transplanted a kidney from a genetically modified pig into a human body.

“Why are pigs considered more suitable for transport?” If you say so, there are a few simple reasons:

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Pig breeding is considered by scientists because of its advantages such as ease of breeding, short pregnancy periods, a large number of offspring, appropriate adult organ sizes and low maintenance costs. To solve the organ shortage crisis pigs are seen as the most suitable option.

Could the transplanted organ cause problems for the person?

Can occur during transplantation of animal organs to humans biological barriers and infection risksis one of the important problems that researchers in this field are working on. Therefore, animal-to-human organ transplantation currently seems far from a safe and effective solution.

Nevertheless, with the continuous developments in the scientific world, it will be possible in this field in the future. technological advancement can offer safer and more effective solutions. For now, however, people in need of an organ transplant are generally recommended to undergo human organ transplantation.

Studies and trials to date have shown that xenotransplantation poses a number of challenges.

Of course, an animal’s organs are not the same as our organs. For this reason the transplanted organ There is no guarantee that it will function like a normal human organ. “What challenges await us?” If you ask, we can mention it as follows:

• There is a big gap between human and animal organs. Immunological (immune) incompatibilities may be present. These incompatibilities can also lead to rejection of the organ by the immune system.
• Organs from animals, It can increase the risk of infection for humans, and some microorganisms found in animals can pose a danger to us.
• Diseases transmitted from animals to humans during transport (xenophobia) There is a risk. This represents a serious health threat.

If an animal kidney were successfully transplanted into a human, would the need for dialysis be theoretically eliminated?

Yes, he can get up. However, in this case it is important to emphasize that the situations mentioned above must be taken into account.

If the human body can accept an animal organ, it is very difficult to guarantee that the organ will function smoothly forever. For this reason We don’t know whether the treatment methods used for human diseases are also effective in animal organs.

If we look at it in theory, transplanting an animal organ into a human and… may function successfully However, because this has not yet been achieved today, it is unfortunately difficult to comment on this.

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