Surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania announced today that they successfully attached a genetically altered pig liver to a brain-dead person and found that the organ functioned normally for 72 hours. The experiment represents a step toward using pig organs to help extremely ill patients with failing livers.
The researchers behind the experiment think pig livers could be used to stabilize patients who need a liver transplant and are waiting for a donor. For patients whose own livers could recover, pig organs could also offer temporary support. “If you can provide some kind of way to increase the chance of recovery, maybe you can avoid transplantation,” says Abraham Shaked, a
→ Continue reading at Wired - Science