Why organs from pigs?
“Pigs can be cloned in a fairly germ-free environment.” They have large litters, grow quickly to maturity and can be raised in sterile environments. Pig organs are also the right size for human patients. Scientists say pigs could also be a good source of donor islet tissue because their insulin and glucose are similar to humans’. The huge risk with xenotransplants is the spreading of animal viruses to humans. That’s not just a risk to the patient, it’s a risk to everybody. Although the magnitude of that risk is unknown, scientists have experiences in the past with the transfer of viruses from animals to humans. The AIDS virus is one; the Ebola virus another. “The viruses lie dormant or inactive in the pig (imbedded in its DNA) but when they are transposed into the human, they can actually multiply and cause major problems,” he said. This fear has clamped a barrier on xenotransplants for now. But although it’s not allowed in Canada (and it won’t be until Health Canada gets more public i
