World Connect News
Washington (Special Health Report): A new and unprecedented chapter has been added to the world of medical science and organ transplantation. American citizen Tim Andrews has set a new global record by surviving for 271 days with the help of a genetically modified pig kidney . This is the first time in modern medical history that an animal organ (xenotransplantation) has successfully functioned for so long in a living human body.
What is Xenotransplantation?
When healthy organs or tissues from an animal are surgically transplanted into a human body, the process is called xenotransplantation . Since the human immune system immediately rejects organs from other organisms, treating them as foreign, scientists use gene editing (CRISPR technology) to modify pig DNA. This involves removing pig genes that cause rejection in humans and adding human genes to allow the body to accept the organ.
Why did Tim Andrews’ case make history?
Tim Andrews was suffering from severe kidney failure (End-Stage Renal Disease) and it was almost impossible to get a human kidney for him. After special permission, a team of doctors transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into his body. This transplanted kidney successfully filtered blood and produced urine in Tim’s body for 271 days continuously. Although, after 271 days, the organ had to be removed due to immune rejection and technical problems, but this experiment proved that animal organs can save human life.
New hope for a world struggling with organ donation shortage
Millions of patients worldwide lose their lives simply because a human donor cannot be found in time. In the United States alone, more than 17 people die every day due to kidney failure. Doctors and researchers believe that this successful experiment on Tim Andrews could permanently eliminate the problem of organ shortage in the future. By further improving this technology in the future, millions of kidney patients could be given a new lease on life.
