Organ transplants as a sensation: In early 2022, photos from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore spread around the world. Doctors managed there To put a pig’s heart in a man. The organ had previously been genetically modified to make it more likely to be tolerated by the human body. The 57-year-old patient survived at least eight weeks with the new heart.
Transplantation was also important because donor organs were still scarce. In Germany alone, about 8,500 seriously ill people are on the waiting list. There are therefore frequent discussions about changing the legal status of organ donation, for example towards resolving a contradiction, as is the case, for example, in Spain. The number of organ donors is much higher there.
Xenotransplantation – the future?
Also in Advancements in Organ Transplantation Those affected and medicine have high hopes. Because the first experiments on pigs, whose organs are very similar to ours, were promising. With the help of animal organs, gaps in future organ donation can be filled. Before that happens, a lot of research is needed. Because organ transplants also carry risks, for example because of some viruses that can be transmitted. Ethical questions have not yet been definitively discussed.
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