The company Revivicor is breeding pigs with five added human genes. These pigs are called GalSafe pigs and they are being bred with the intention of transplanting their livers, kidneys, and hearts into humans. The transplantation of nonhuman organs and cells into the human body is called xenotransplantation.
The genes added to these pigs’ organs are to ensure the human body does not reject the implant. The most problems occur when human blood pumps through the pig’s organ, due to the epitope region, where human antibodies can attach themselves and begin fighting off the foreign organ. Revivicor is currently working on trying to coat the pigs’ epitopes with human proteins.
Currently, Revivicor is working with baboons, primates very close to humans. A GalSafe pig heart was kept alive in a baboon’s stomach for 945 days, while another baboon had its kidneys swapped with those of a GalSafe pig, and they functioned properly for 136 days. The next step is to swap a baboon’s heart with one of the GalSafe pig hearts.
If this is successful, thousands of lives could be saved annually. Currently 21 people in the United States die each day waiting for transplants. These pigs would provide a new and large supply of organs to these suffering humans. A large concern would be cross species disease, for example swine flu, because humans cannot be naturally immune to viruses that originate in animals.
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