New York surgeons transplanted a pig’s kidney into a brain-dead man and for over a month it’s worked normally

  • BadEngineering
    link
    fedilink
    811 months ago

    This is really exciting news, The severe lack of viable transplant organs has been a serious hinderance to the medical profession. If the process can be perfected this has the potential to save millions of lives.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      611 months ago

      I’m betting that we’ll be able to clone organs before this is ever a truly viable option. It might be used as a stop gap until an organ is grown, but I seriously doubt it’ll be a main course of treatment.

      • UFO
        link
        fedilink
        211 months ago

        I think you’re right but I also bet there is overlapping technology between the two.

  • roguetrick
    link
    fedilink
    5
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    Wait, they transplanted a pig’s kidney into a… corpse? How did they get authorization for that experiment exactly? The family donated the body to science? I know they’d have just kept him on dialysis if they were actually attempting to prolong his heart beating corpse status.

  • @betterdeadthanreddit
    link
    4
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    That’s nothing, I’ve been transplanting pig tissue into my organs for years and I’m doing fine. Some of the biggest risks come from the cooking stage but it’s otherwise pleasant.

  • sgibson5150
    link
    fedilink
    311 months ago

    I can only assume the pig consented to this. What a kind animal.

    • Flying Squid
      link
      2
      edit-2
      11 months ago

      It has another kidney, so I’m sure it’s fine.