Human organs to be grown in pigs

[Shaker]

http://goo.gl/AC0J3Z

American scientists are planning to create so-called chimera organs to be grown in pigs for use in human transplants.

Instead of scrabbling around for yet another way to use and abuse non-human animals, why are we burying and burning hundreds of thousands of healthy, useful organs in ths country alone every year?

There are something like 8,000 people in need of an organ transplant of some kind in the UK. Three of these die every week. Yet in England alone - not the UK or even Britain, just England - 500,000 people die every year. After weeding out the unsuitable/unusable organs, to me that still seems like a hell of a surplus.

High time the whole of the UK introduced presumed consent/opt out, as Wales did on December 1st last year.

[L.A.]

It would be really good if you could get your kidney transplant and have the rest of the animal nicely jointed as a freezer-pack.

[Harrowby Hall]

http://goo.gl/AC0J3Z

American scientists are planning to create so-called chimera organs to be grown in pigs for use in human transplants.

I can see this going down well with islamists!

High time the whole of the UK introduced presumed consent/opt out, as Wales did on December 1st last year.

I agree.

[Hope]

There has been talk of growing human organs in pigs for years.  I was therefore rather surprised by the story.  I didn't think it was news.

[Shaker]

It's likely to cease being talk and become a reality - that's the news.

[jeremyp]

After weeding out the unsuitable/unusable organs, to me that still seems like a hell of a surplus.

Because people still have a sentimental thing about dead people. They still think it somehow matters to the dead person what happens to their body parts even though they are long past caring.

High time the whole of the UK introduced presumed consent/opt out, as Wales did on December 1st last year.

100% agree.

[jeremyp]

It's likely to cease being talk and become a reality - that's the news.

I'd be a little more sceptical than that. I think there are still serious barriers to doing this, I'll believe it when I see it.

[Hope]

It's likely to cease being talk and become a reality - that's the news.

I thought that similar news items had been reported in the past, suggesting that the reality had already come about.

[floo]

If it works and is no danger to human health, go for it.

[Brownie]

I remember, some years ago, on 'Holby City', where two surgeons,  Rick Griffin and a friend of his played by Adrian Edmondson, transplanted a pig's kidney into a patient.  Pioneering surgery!  The operation didn't take place in the hospital, might have been in Rick's kitchen but I don't recall.  It was not legal of course but they did it and the patient survived a bit longer than he would have done without it.  All very exciting, or so I found it at the time and I've never forgotten it.

It must be fairly easy to obtain bits of a pig, we do eat them after all, but I'm not sure of the ethics of growing organs in pigs for human use, or more precisely putting human organs in pigs for later use.  The pigs will have to undergo quite difficult operations and be on anti-rejection drugs, steroids etc.  Not pleasant I'm sure.

[floo]

I remember, some years ago, on 'Holby City', where two surgeons,  Rick Griffin and a friend of his played by Adrian Edmondson, transplanted a pig's kidney into a patient.  Pioneering surgery!  The operation didn't take place in the hospital, might have been in Rick's kitchen but I don't recall.  It was not legal of course but they did it and the patient survived a bit longer than he would have done without it.  All very exciting, or so I found it at the time and I've never forgotten it.

It must be fairly easy to obtain bits of a pig, we do eat them after all, but I'm not sure of the ethics of growing organs in pigs for human use, or more precisely putting human organs in pigs for later use.  The pigs will have to undergo quite difficult operations and be on anti-rejection drugs, steroids etc.  Not pleasant I'm sure.

I remember that episode, I am a great fan of Holby City and Casualty.

[Brownie]

Moi aussi.

[Aruntraveller]

I thought Cameron had already grown an organ in a pig?

[Brownie]

I found this in a spoof newspaper:  ''Cameron backs the plan after he successfully managed to grow his own cock inside the mouth of a dead porker.''  EEEeeewwww

Animal welfare campaigners are very much against the idea - I don't mean Cameron and his cock, but growing human organs inside pigs (though no doubt they would be anti Cameron growing a cock in that way  ).  I too think it is an unethical concept.

[Shaker]

The trouble is that it's so unnecessary. The serious problem of the shortage of available organs for transplantation is one that we already know how to fix without finding yet another way to exploit animals.

[Brownie]

Quite.

[Gordon]

As I understand it, and I may have misunderstood, this approach reduces or removes the need for people to take immunosuppressant drugs compared with organs from human donors, and also reduces the risk of organ rejection.

[Brownie]

I think you are right there, it is an argument put forward by those in favour.  I wonder if they are in favour because they want to save lives or because they find the idea of trying to push boundaries like that challenging.