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Xenotransplantation...

I doubt that's a first in any meaningful kind of way; e.g. until 'Humulin' was made useful, mid- 80s, all insulin-dependent Type 1 diabetics were using porcine insulin. Since forever.

I know; I remember my Dad transitioning between the two! (he's 82 now, fully 56 yrs insulin dependent, and as utterly fit & able as one might dare hope be at that age ! Some kind of record in itself)



(& who cares what the weirdo 'bible belt' might have to say, let them rot.)
 
martin clark said:
I know; I remember my Dad transitioning between the two! (he's 82 now, fully 56 yrs insulin dependent, and as utterly fit & able as one might dare hope be at that age ! Some kind of record in itself)
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Good for him! I know it sounds daft but this middle aged T1 takes great comfort knowing that there are other insulin dependant peeps who've successfully made it to old age.
 
It makes me feel uncomfortable in ways I can't easily articulate. I know we rear animals, including pigs, for meat and the animal gives up its life for our benefit and this is, in those basic terms, no different. But it feels different. It's about exploitation, rather than 'merely' a more efficient version of the natural order of things (ie wild pigs, hunted for meat). It values a human life above a pig's life in a way that rearing livestock for food somehow doesn't. And I know humanity has achieved remarkable things, but it's also done some pretty wicked and terrible things, which by and large the animal kingdom hasn't. So I'm not convinced valuing human life above all else is morally defensible. It's that thing in the Bible about having dominion over all things, and it has led to all sorts of perversions along the way. This feels like another step on a morally dubious road, rather than a medical breakthrough.
 
If I'm told I'm going to die and but offered the the chance of life then I'm afraid its bye bye piggy. I'll have its heart and freeze the rest. I'll eat it later.

I'm afraid I do value my life above those of animals.
 
I suspect this is more palatable than rearing humans for their organs and taking their lives.
 
"For over 30 years, pig valves have been successfully planted in humans. Interestingly, a pig’s heart is similar in size, weight, and structure to a human’s heart.

Hearts are harvested from freshly killed pigs. This is done under clean conditions and the porcine tissue is refrigerated right away. Contrary to what some believe, pigs are not grown specifically for the harvesting of their hearts. The pigs that are used for medical purposes are grown for human consumption.

Under sterile conditions, the valves are removed from the pig’s body. The excess tissue and myocardium are then removed. The valves are then “sized” so they are appropriately fit when implanted into a human. That’s right! We all have different size heart valves similar to different size feet.

The pig valve is typically mounted to a stent (frame) that can be reinforced with Dacron cloth and sutures. After mounting, the valve is checked microscopically and cultures are taken. Cotton can be used to maintain proper structure (geometry) and the valve is placed in a sterile cup. To preserve the tissue, the valve is often placed in glutaraldehyde to reduce possible failure or rejection of the valve by the recipient.

Porcine valves last an average of ten years; give or take a few years. But, some have lasted much longer – up to seventeen years! Typically, pig valve replacements wear out faster in younger, more active individuals."

https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/learning/pig-valve-replacement/
 
The difference with xenotransplantation, AIUI, is that the pig is genetically modified to reduce the likelihood of rejection. So this heart is not a by-product of the meat industry, but has been 'engineered' for this one purpose. How do we feel about eating the rest of a pig which has been genetically engineered to be closer to a human being?
 
Ultimately the heart - any heart - is just a particularly specialised muscle, whose job it is simply to pump blood. So, who cares really where a replacement heart comes from?
 
The original owner probably cares! I do worry that we might create another reason for exploiting and mistreating animals, so this is going to need very stringent regulation and control. What happens to the rest of the pig, for example? Does it enter the food chain? Do the genetic modifications increase the risk of porcine viruses making the jump to humans? Do we really want to start down this path?
 
It's an uncomfortable fit with the currently fashionable notions of animal rights and veganism isn't it?

Be interesting to see the philosophical contortions it throws up.
 
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I have a bicuspid heart valve that was diagnosed at the age of 13 when I went for a routine yearly medical for my motocross licence and was told It "may" have to be replaced with a pigs heart valve if I ever suffer from a particularly nasty infection. I've also been a committed vegetarian since the age of 16 so 30+yrs of carrot munching and I admit I'd rip that heart valve out of the pig with my own teeth.
 
Somafunk said:
I have a bicuspid heart valve that was diagnosed at the age of 13 when I went for a routine yearly medical for my motocross licence and was told It "may" have to be replaced with a pigs heart valve if I ever suffer from a particularly nasty infection. I've also been a committed vegetarian since the age of 16 so 30+yrs of carrot munching and I admit I'd rip that heart valve out of the pig with my own teeth.
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:eek:

So no philosophical contortions for you then! :)
 
I wonder if the other organs would also be suitable for transplant from the same animal, as the news (bbc) mentioned that the same team had successfully transplanted a kidney as well though into a brain dead patient as a preliminary test.
 
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