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When pig organs will fly

Nature Biotechnology volume 35, pages 1133–1138 (2017)Cite this article

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Regulators, scientists and surgeons are preparing the groundwork for human trials of engineered pig organs—and industry is starting to take notice.

Although gene editing tools, such as CRISPR endonucleases, have increased scientists' ability to make multiple changes to animal genomes, it remains less clear how much engineering is necessary, and what level of immunosuppressive therapy is acceptable, to prevent recipients from rejecting an organ from another species. With that in mind, some scientists and one company, Recombinetics in St. Paul, Minnesota, are also exploring the possibility of moving cells in the other direction—from humans to animals—in attempts to grow human organs inside large animals1. Most likely, a combination of bioengineering technologies will be needed to translate the xenotransplantion concept to clinical practice. That may be possible as industry investment ramps up to allow the expensive large-animal studies, but in the meantime, stakeholders must spearhead society-wide conversations about animal welfare and the ethics of what it means to be human.

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  1. Emily Waltz is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tennessee,

    Emily Waltz

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Waltz, E. When pig organs will fly. Nat Biotechnol 35, 1133–1138 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4027

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