Japan to Allow Pig to Human Transplants by 2019

Pig to Human transplants? Really? There's no way I would want that. Scientists in Japan are really doing it however. I think it's a bad idea; especially since I saw a story about irradiated wild pigs around Fukushima. It brings another issue to mind for me.....Are humans and pigs that similiar that we can transplant organs? I thought we most closely resembled Chimps; why not transplant with them? It's a short video but I can't embed. Here's the link:

www.nbcnews.com...

originally posted by: lostbook

There's no way I would want that.

Call us if you actually require a transplant. Easy to say, 'No way', now but if the time ever came I would think you might sing a different tune.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: lostbook

There's no way I would want that.

Call us if you actually require a transplant. Easy to say, 'No way', now but if the time ever came I would think you might sing a different tune.

Maybe. Depending on the circumstances.

a reply to: lostbook

In this case they're talking about transplanting pancreatic islets which are the cells within the pancreas that produce insulin. I imagine the donor pig would be a gene knockout pig, engineered for this purpose. These aren't pigs that would be running wild, let alone picking up radiation around Fukushima so you can forget that right away.

Pigs have been the subject of xenotransplantation research for decades because they have similarly sized organs and because pigs are a domesticated food animal in most of the world.

For more information about pig to primate xenotransplantation, you might want to check out this thread I authored a week or so ago: Baboon Survives 945 Days With Genetically Modified Pig Heart Xenograft

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: lostbook

In this case they're talking about transplanting pancreatic islets which are the cells within the pancreas that produce insulin. I imagine the donor pig would be a gene knockout pig, engineered for this purpose. These aren't pigs that would be running wild, let alone picking up radiation around Fukushima so you can forget that right away.

Pigs have been the subject of xenotransplantation research for decades because they have similarly sized organs and because pigs are a domesticated food animal in most of the world.

For more information about pig to primate xenotransplantation, you might want to check out this thread I authored a week or so ago: Baboon Survives 945 Days With Genetically Modified Pig Heart Xenograft

Cool thread. Pigs are disgusting animals to me. I'd rather not transplant from them.

Dibs on a new liver.


Edit: the antediluvian said pancreas...I could go for one of those, too.

Just sos we don't end up with a host of new types of cross species diseases.....swine flu anyone?

Anybody remember "Baby Fae"? She got a baboon heart and lived for 21 days. I gotta say, I don't care how you slice it, its just damn weird. Something I would expect from the likes of Joseph Mengele.

People like Cheney got pumps instead of hearts, babies getting baboon hearts, now this… sheesh.

Baby Fae

I was listening to a radio doco about this the other night. Apparently years back when the idea was first tossed around to do pig to human transplants, the scientists found that there were latent diseases in the DNA of the pig. So it was decided that it may be a bad idea. They were not confident that the latent diseases would not become active when the transplant was done, causing some disease that could mutate and wipe out the populace.
But since then, the gene splicer (Crisper I think it's called) was discovered in 2012. Scientists have successfully been able to eradicate those diseases from the pig DNA, with the hope of performing safe transplants. Maybe the Japanese are at the point where this can be done.
If I was in need of an organ, and it was safe to do, I would get the transplant done in a heartbeat (pun intended).

Woah!

When I saw the title, the first thing I thought of was:

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

I was wondering who was going to finally take Serova's research to the clinical application. I just might be going to Japan by 2019 if this treatment is approved. I AM SOOO SICK OF LIVING MY WHOLE LIFE WITH DIABETES! I have asked God or the Universe or whatever you call it to let me die already. Finally, the hope for this give me something to look forward to.

The fact remains though - I shouldn't have to travel to another country to get this disease cured. The greed in the American Big-Pharma industry makes be sick!

I have been shoving pig in my body all my life through my mouth. I probably have a decent percent of my makeup now from a pig. This is fine.

I wonder why 2019 though and not like....tomorrow. I suspect the transplants they are discussing are time critical major organ transplants..so..start it up already, worst case scenario is people that are going to die...die.

originally posted by: InFriNiTee
The fact remains though - I shouldn't have to travel to another country to get this disease cured. The greed in the American Big-Pharma industry makes be sick!

On the plus side though, if it can help you..you get to travel to Japan

a reply to: lostbook

I would rather die then have a transplant from an animal.

originally posted by: lostbook
Pig to Human transplants? Really? There's no way I would want that. Scientists in Japan are really doing it however. I think it's a bad idea; especially since I saw a story about irradiated wild pigs around Fukushima. It brings another issue to mind for me.....Are humans and pigs that similiar that we can transplant organs? I thought we most closely resembled Chimps; why not transplant with them? It's a short video but I can't embed. Here's the link:

www.nbcnews.com...

You know what if there is some kid out their who would live because of this transplant, so be it..If I was on my deathbed and they had a pig heart, sign me up...

originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: lostbook

I would rather die then have a transplant from an animal.

I agree and probably for different reasons. They call the animal a donor like it had a choice. we want to steal their organs while they are alive. So what is it about vampires that make people disgusted?

In the case of the xenotransplantation of pig organs, this would be avoided as organs would be excised from a healthy pig under anesthesia.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

Just imagine what it is like. I have had type 1 long enough to say that over the years the crappy GMO insulin has gotten worse at controlling the blood sugars.

Imagine a shot at every meal (or insulin pump which can get blocked-occluded) or insulin that just doesn't work right. Now add up the years, and watch the complications start to develop. I have digestion problems from paralysis of the digestive nerve (vagus nerve), circulation and nerve damage, but luckily I can still see. It won't be a lot of more years like this for me, and I have as precise control of the diabetes as I can manage (6.0% a1c or lower).

This will honestly be a Godsend to me. I hope that country is protected from any big quakes. We need heroes like this in the world!

Weirdly, I thought we were already doing this 😕
I remember reading or hearing that genetically we were close enough to share organs. Guess I was just remembering the future.

a reply to: lostbook

Are humans and pigs that similiar that we can transplant organs? I thought we most closely resembled Chimps; why not transplant with them?

In the TV series Hanibal they use a pig to carry an unborn child untill its born so i guess there might be some truth in it.

We have been using porcine bio-prosthetic heart valves since the 1970s.