In the United States, a group of Yale University researchers has partially revived pig organs after the animal died. That writes the British public broadcaster BBC on Wednesday. This would allow more pig organs to be transplanted and give doctors more time to save lives.
When the heart stops beating, the body stops supplying oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive. Organs swell, blood vessels collapse and cells – the building blocks of the body’s organs – begin to die.
Scientists now managed to restore cell function in several organs in pigs that had been dead for about an hour. “These cells function for hours after they shouldn’t,” said Professor Nenad Sestan.
Previously, the researchers applied this technique, called “OrganEx”, to pig brains, but now the whole body was examined. To do this, the scientists put a hundred pigs to sleep before stopping their heartbeats. After the animals were dead for an hour, they were linked to the OrganEx system and administered the “recovery cocktail”.
After six hours, it appeared that the function in various organs, such as the heart, kidneys and liver, had been partially restored. “Things turned out not to be as dead as we expected,” said doctor Zvonimir Vrselja. “This shows that we can initiate cell repair at the molecular level.” At one point, the pigs’ heads and necks even started to move spontaneously, which could be a sign that they are regaining their locomotion, but that needs further investigation.
It will take a lot of research before the technology can be applied to humans. However, this allows organs to be stored longer before the transplant itself takes place.
Also read: Will a waiting list for a kidney transplant soon be a thing of the past? “Of all animals, the pig is the most logical organ supplier for humans”(+)
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