Pig Kidney Xenotransplantation: Progress Towards Clinical Trials

Pig organ xenotransplantation offers a solution to the shortage of deceased human organs for transplantation. The pathobiological response to a pig xenograft is complex, involving antibody, complement, coagulation, inflammatory, and cellular responses. To overcome these barriers, genetic manipulation of the organ-source pigs has largely been directed to two major aims – (i) deletion of expression of the known carbohydrate xenoantigens against which humans have natural (preformed) antibodies, and (ii) transgenic expression of human protective proteins, e.g., complement- and coagulation-regulatory proteins.
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research