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Xeno—still stuck without αGal

Nature Biotechnology volume 21, pages 359–360 (2003)Cite this article

To the editor

The development of pigs with targeted disruption of one α1–3galactosyltransferase (α1,3GT) allele1,2 and the spontaneous disruption of the other allele yielding galactose (Gal)-deficient pigs3 has encouraged the view that xenotransplantation may be close to clinical application. We contend such views are premature and that significantly more work is needed to develop reliable and robust models of human immune responses. Here, we report some preliminary experiments that indicate certain hurdles to xenotransplantation may not be predicted by assays using isolated cells or even by the transplantation of porcine organs into nonhuman primates.

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Figure 1: Perfusion of murine lungs by human serum.
Figure 2: Activation of complement in αGal knockout lung.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (HL46810 and HL52297).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Transplantation Biology, and the Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Medical Sciences Building 2-66, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, 55905, MN

    Yoshihiro Miyata

  2. Transplantation Biology, and the Departments of Surgery, Immunology, and Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Medical Sciences Building 2-66, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, 55905, MN

    Jeffrey L. Platt

Authors
  1. Yoshihiro Miyata
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  2. Jeffrey L. Platt
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Miyata, Y., Platt, J. Xeno—still stuck without αGal. Nat Biotechnol 21, 359–360 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0403-359

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