(WSVN) - Researchers in Virginia are growing modified pigs, whose organs could be used to help bridge the large gap in human donors.
Scientists inside the research farm all share a common goal, limiting the possibility of going on an organ transplant list.
“Ultimately, the future would be is you wouldn’t have to go, you know, on an organ transplant list,” said David Ayares, president of Revivicor.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, there are more than 103,000 people on the national transplant waiting list.
About 17 of those people die every day while patiently waiting for their turn.
“This is the culmination, you know of decades of research,” said Ayares.
Since a human body can reject organs from other species, scientists at Revivicor have been genetically modifying the genes inside its pigs to make them more compatible with the human body.
“This is a ten-gene pig. So this pig has ten genetic modifications. Has four pigs inactive, four pig genes inactivated and has six human genes,” said Ayares.
Teams then clone pigs with the altered genes so, they can have a steady supply.
“The embryos come here. Surrogate sows come in. We do the embryo transfer surgery, and then they go back into one of these barns and gestate until cloned pigs are born,” said Ayares.
Nearby researchers at United Therapeutics are also busy at work as the animals are under tight security.
The animals’ food gets disinfected and the water and air they consume face tougher infiltration standards than what’s required for people.
The company is aiming to produce roughly 125 pig organs a year for clinical trials in the near future.
“The FDA is now realizing there’s a body of evidence that says this is going to work,” said Ayares.
The organs are expected to be used in studies of animal-to-human transplants as soon as next year.
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