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Two sets of human-tropic pig retrovirus

Nature volume 389, pages 681–682 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Advances in controlling immunological rejection have raised the possibility that pigs could be used as a source of organs and tissues for transplantation into humans1,2. However, the report that one pig kidney cell line, PK15, produces Ctype retroviruses capable of infecting human cells3 has reinforced fears over the potential risks of viral infections associated with xenotransplantation4,5. Further support for these fears comes from the discovery of two different classes of porcine endogenous proviruses (PERVs), capable of infecting human cells, in PK15 cells as well as in a variety of normal porcine tissues.

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Figure 1: The envelope proteins of PERV-A and PERV-B.
Figure 2: Southern analysis of the number and genetic distribution of PERV proviruses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, NW7 1AA, London, UK

    Paul Le Tissier & Jonathan P. Stoye

  2. Chester Beatty Laboratories, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK

    Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Clive Patience & Robin A. Weiss

Authors
  1. Paul Le Tissier
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  2. Jonathan P. Stoye
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  3. Yasuhiro Takeuchi
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  4. Clive Patience
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  5. Robin A. Weiss
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Le Tissier, P., Stoye, J., Takeuchi, Y. et al. Two sets of human-tropic pig retrovirus. Nature 389, 681–682 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/39489

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