Using animals organs for transplantation in to humans is nothing new but it has been tested before but unfortuantily it has not got very far with the human body rejecting these animal organs. But now researchers are saying that this could soon become reallity. In august a patient in london was the first to have his heart replaced with a mechanical one. This shows signs that soon humans may be able to have animal transplants.
The answear to why this method may work is that because a researcher named Dr. David Cooper has suggested that rejection from the human body can be overcome. He uses pigs as an example and says that some pigs no longer produce pig protein or galactosyltransferase which there immune system would have instanty attacked.
Stem cells are known to be the next big thing but it is going take years and years before we can use them for heart transplants. For now we can use them for simple structures such as the windpipe.
Animal transplantation could be the answear to UK’s long transplant waiting list if it is successful and could save many peoples lifes