Japanese Scientists consider using pigs for creating Human Transplants

A group of expert scientists in Tokyo has stated that they have created a pig that can be used to make human implants. This team of experts consists of researchers from Kyoto Prefectural University, and Meiji University has to say that, the animal is one of its kinds that can be used for the transplantation purpose based on the national guidelines for Xenotransplantation. It is the state where animal organs and cells are used to transplant for human purposes.

The team is now planning to deposit its research and findings at the Japanese Society for Xenotransplantation forum situated in Suita on Saturday. They are also planning to supply these pigs with a private company next year. Over 200 pig to human Xenotransplantation has been conducted in Russia, New Zealand, and several other countries where their might arise an emergency for an organ transplant. Pigs were chosen for this research because their organs are almost similar to that of the human organs. No other Xenotransplantation processes have ever been conducted in Japan before.

In the year 2016, the Ministry of Health, labor, and welfare went through the guidelines on the animal’s production for transplantation along with other matters. According to the ministry guidelines, the pigs are supposed to be grown and brought up in clean and hygienic environments isolated from the environment and tested for 40 kinds of viruses to prevent the infections and make sure that they are safe for humans.

The scientists make full efforts in raising the miniature pigs in the pathogen-free conditions. There are no such reports that claim pig-to-human retroviral infections have occurred after the transplant procedures conducted overseas. When asked about this, the professor of Meiji University Professor Hiroshi Nagashima said, “Going forward, we would like to manipulate the genes of pigs, so they generate less rejection in patients.”