Transgenic pigs for human transplant – Animminent challenge

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to review the shortage of organs for renal transplantation, as wellas the solution that the transgenic pig promises for the biomedical future. One of the topics of greatrelevance to urology is research in the field of transplantation and tissue compatibility between the donorsource and the recipient of the transplanted kidney. This year, a kidney, with donor-specific tissue fromthymus, from a transgenic pig (α1, 3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout (GTKO)) was transplantedinto the groin area (with anastomoses to the femoral vessels) of a brain-dead human subject by a groupof surgeons at New York University Langone Health. The kidney was reported to function immediatelyafter transplantation, excreting creatinine and passing urine. Genetic engineering and molecular biologywill have a hard say in the future of human medicine. The transgenic pig appears to be a first casesolution for patients in need of organs for transplantation.