Experiment Shows Pig Livers Might One Day Be Transplanted to Humans
Voice of America
FILE — In this photo provided by eGenesis, a genetically modified pig liver is removed in Massachusetts for transportation to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in December 2023. (eGenesis via AP) FILE — This photo provided by eGenesis on Jan. 18, 2024, shows a genetically modified pig liver in Massachusetts before transportation to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in December 2023. (eGenesis via AP)
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have externally attached a pig liver to a brain-dead human body and watched it successfully filter blood. The experiment is a step toward one day trying the technique in patients with liver failure. It's also a different spin on animal-to-human organ transplants, which is also known as xenotransplantation. The pig liver was used outside the donated body, not inside. This is part of efforts to better support failing livers, much like dialysis for failing kidneys.
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