donor organs are scarce, with long waiting lists. The science is a other solution: The possible Transplantation of a pig heart in a human body has moved a big step closer.

With the new technology of genetically-modified pig hearts into baboons – which survived much longer than in previous experiments. Five animals, two were still after 90 days in good health, as their experiment was terminated. Two animals lived even 195 and 182 days, so a good half a year before they were killed. Heart and liver function had been normal, rejection reactions did not exist. One animal died after 51 days of a thrombosis.

The researchers reported the team to the Munich heart surgeon Bruno Reichart and veterinarian Eckhard Wolf in the scientific magazine "Nature".

▶︎ explained The overall result is a milestone on the way to a possible Transplantation of pig hearts in people, the scientists. As a General rule, the time is fulfilled, with the Survival of three months by the International transplantation society established a requirement for clinical Trials.

About three years would take more preparations before the first clinical studies in selected patients could be possible, "if everything goes well," said Reichart, the German press Agency.

Independent experts evaluate the study as an important step on the way to a transplant in humans. Four of the five baboons seemed to tolerate the transplant well without developing serious infections due to immunosuppression, stressed the Berlin transplant expert, Christoph Knosalla, in a "Nature"comment. Therefore, this advanced technique could work in humans, if the Xenotransplantation – advanced exchange across Species boundaries – far enough to start the first clinical Trials.

pigs are particularly suitable as blood donors

▶︎ The Aachen-based physician, Rene Tolba, called the results "clinically highly relevant". "The first clinical indication for such Xenotransplantation could be the so-called "Bridge to transplant". A critical heart patient waiting for a donor organ would be offered, the transplant of a pig heart as a Bridge.

Xenotransplantation is being explored since the 1980s. Pigs are useful as donors, especially because your metabolism to the the people similar to. Reichart, 1983 succeeded the first heart-lung transplantation in Germany, has been working for a Long time with the issue; he was for many years the Board of management of the special research group for Xenotransplantation of the German research Foundation (DFG).

so Far, had survived baboons transplantation of pig hearts and a maximum of 57 days. The Team Reichart changed, especially in the type of transplant. To cool, instead of, as usual, the heart, and it was connected to a circuit with a plasma-containing liquid, so that it was before and during the Operation, oxygen is supplied to the.

This was, possibly, also in the case of conventional transplants, a way to improve the success, said Reichart. In addition, the researchers reduced the blood pressure of the baboons at the SURGERY on the pigs, in order to conserve the Organ. "Obviously, the pig, keep the heart worse at life as a human heart," said Reichart.