Skip to main content

Is it possible to have an animal to human organ transplant? 

Transplanting animal organs into humans has been in the works for centuries.
The transplantation of animal organ, tissues or cell across species is called Xenotransplantation.
Tissue xenotransplants have been carried out as early as the 17th to 18th century when blood was transfused into human patients with mixed results.
In 1838, the first corneal xenotransplantation (from a pig) was performed in a patient, whereas the first corneal allograft (human-to-human) was not carried out until more than 65 years later, in 1905.
China has reportedly performed more than 400 corneal xenotransplants since 2015 when it was approved.
Organ xenotransplantation has actually been performed as far back as the early 20th century when a French surgeon implanted a pig kidney and a goats liver in his human patients, they didn't survive, It'd have been a miracle if they did.
In 1963, chimpanzee kidneys were transplanted into 13 patients. It's reported one of them actually survived for 9 months before dying of what was believed to be electrolyte disturbance. Probably organ rejection.
In 1964, Hardy carried out the first xeno heart transplant using a chimpanzee heart but the patient died within 2 hours.
In 1966, Starlz transplanted the first chimpanzee liver into a human. By 1992 his patient was able to survive for 70 days following a baboon liver transplant.
Baboons and Chimpanzees are a favoured donor because of the close genetic relatedness we share. They are hardy virus carriers and there have been ethical concerns regarding their use.
Pigs are the next favourite, their anatomy is similar to that of humans and are generally healthier than baboons. Genetically modified pigs offer a hope of limitless supply of blood and organs for those in need.
Xenotransplant procedures are still experimental presently and the main risk to the procedure is organ rejection, just as it is for human to human transplants.
However an added risk is the probability of a Zoonotic disease outbreak. Animals carry lots of pathogens, some of which are harmless to them but very harmful to us.
In the nearest future, as early as 5 years, we might have successful xenotransplants with better prognosis than human transplants. Hopefully.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE IGNORANCE OF FASTING TODAY. In literary terms fasting can be defined as the abstinence of food for the attainment of spiritual edification. Lately, I got an insight that restructured my mindset towards this subject. During fasting, the pathway to your soul is open and ready for rejuvenation; Hence some folks contact strange spirits, sickness and mental disorder right there at the mountain of intercession. Praying and fasting is never the  sole patent of Born again Christians as everyone thought ; Even Occultic/mystic practitioners, Hindus, Buddhist and African traditional worshipers such as native doctors, rain makers, etc undergo fasting before embarking on heavy  incantations. Those in the business of Astral or soul traveling can decode what I'm saying. The two doors that opens to the soul during fasting includes: 1.Realm of divinity 2.Realm of premortal  darkness. When fasting is done in consonance with the principles of God, one plunges into the re...
JOB VACANCY A private Primary School in a busy area of Enugu is seeking  well-qualified applicants with proven records of success for the vacant position below: *POSITION*: Primary Class Teacher Location: *Enugu* *REQUIREMENTS* * Candidate must have a first degree; NCE/B.Ed/ B.A * 3-5 years teaching experience; knowledge of Montessori Philosophy would be an advantage. * Should be available to resume January 2018. * Must reside in Achara Layout or Zik Avenue Axis * Ability to multi-task effectively, good organization and coordination skills, excellent interpersonal and communication skills. *METHOD OF APPLICATION* Interested and qualified candidates should send a letter of application and Curriculum Vitae (CV) by 9th January, 2018 to debillbusinessclinic@gmail.com NOTE: Only candidates that supply full details and meet all the criteria requested will be short-listed for interview. ------------------------------------------------------- A Catholic Newspaper in...
How to turn your smartphone into a remote control easily Jan 4, 2018 1:13 PM To this day, there are just a few things that we can not do with our smartphones. From playing content of any kind, whether videos, images or sounds, to controlling the appliances in our house. One of the most interesting functions that integrate most devices (although increasingly in smaller amounts) is the  remote control  feature. Thanks to this, we can make use of our devices as if it were a remote , with all that entails. Today we will teach you how to turn your  smartphone into a remote control  easily and without having to resort to  rooting  your smartphone. For clarity, this guide is aimed at those users whose smartphone  does not have such remote functionality . If your device has this function, you will only have to resort to the application of the corresponding manufacturer to make use of it. Get a remote control for les...