Pig genes changed for longer organ survival

In the past few years, improved gene-editing technology (the CRISPR technique) and modified immunosuppressive approaches have led to encouraging preclinical xenograft survival experiments, and inJanuary 2022, the first pigto-human heart transplant was conducted2 3, invigorating the field. Knocking out this receptor is one solution to the problem posed by the fast growth rate of pigs: although such rapid growth will be useful for the xenograft supply chain, pig organs might outgrow their primate recipients. Anand and colleagues' paper - together with other reports of successful xenotransplants in preclinical NHP models and in humans - shows that it is time for clinical translation of this vital technology, which has the potential to save lives that would otherwise be lost to the shortage of human organs.