Transplant op patients could be given GM pigs’ hearts in three years
HEART patients could be given organs from pigs in three years, a scientist has claimed following a major breakthrough.
A baboon given a pig’s heart has been able to survive longer than six months for the first time.
Scientists have long wanted to use the organs to deal with a shortage which has left almost 300 British adults and children on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
They are now much closer after managing to keep baboons alive with genetically-modified pig hearts for up to 195 days.
Respected science journal Nature has described the breakthrough as a ‘major step’ towards putting the hearts into humans – slashing the number of patients who die while on the waiting list.
Professor Bruno Reichart, who led the study from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, said: ‘Humans could receive transplanted genetically modified pigs’ hearts in clinical trials within three years if everything were to go well.’
Baboons have been used by scientists because, as primates, they are closely related to humans. But in earlier research those given pigs’ hearts only managed to stay alive for a maximum of 57 days.
The latest study has been more successful because the organs were pumped with red blood cells and nutrients every 15 minutes rather than left inactive in cold storage.
In addition, the pigs were genetically modified to prevent interspecies immune reactions – so their hearts would behave more like those in humans. They were able to produce a human protein to prevent the blood clots which have killed primates in previous studies.
Four out of five survived being given pig hearts in the last stage of the study. Two lived for more than three months, which experts give as the timescale to show a transplant is successful. In fact, they lived more than six months, with one surviving for 195 days.
Professor Christopher McGregor, professor of cardiovascular science at University College London, said: ‘This is a significant landmark in progress towards transplantation into humans of pig hearts.’
Previous attempts by the German team saw baboons die after their hearts swelled to twice their normal size. However, in the latest research a drug was used which prevents this by blocking unchecked cell growth. Better drugs to suppress immune reactions also helped.
The primates also suffered no medical problems from the drugs.
Heart valves from pigs are already used in human operations but there are ethical concerns about using animal organs in people.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘Solving the [transplant] shortage by using pig hearts has been an aspiration for more than 40 years.’