A Startup Cofounded by a 31-Year-Old Just Got a Step Closer to Transplanting Pig Organs Into Humans

Teknologi.id . October 08, 2018

Egenesis chief scientific officer Luhan Yang.

Egenesis, a startup that’s using the gene-editing tool CRISPR to make pig organs viable for transplants into people, just became the first company to make pigs that don’t transmit a key virus, a move that could get us closer to pig-organ transplants for humans. The company, which raised $38 million in March and is cofounded by Harvard geneticist George Church and 31-year old Luhan Yang, wants to knock out certain genes in pigs that could cause diseases or organ rejection in humans, making it possible for those pig organs to be transplanted. The Egenesis team announced in the journal Science that it had produced 37 piglets that had inactivated Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus, or PERV. The virus, which is part of the pigs’ DNA, has been an issue for human-pig transplants in the past because of concerns that it could infect humans. Why pig organs could help with transplant shortages In 2016, estimated 22 people die each day waiting on a new organ (US Health Resources and Services Administration). Getting organs from pigs, whose organs tend to be close in size and work similarly to human organs – could be the solution to that shortage. But there are two huge hurdles. The first is the virology, or the fact that pigs carry genes encoded with viruses that could transmit disease to humans. The second hurdle, she said, is the immunology. Since the pig organ would be foreign to the body, the person’s immune system might try to kick it out, rejecting the organ. Ideally, CRISPR will help tackle those issues “that were insurmountable before,” Yang said. “We think the advancement of gene editing can help us address both of them,” Yang said. How Egenesis’ process works Egenesis wants to build genetically modified pig clones that tackle both the virology and immunology challenges that come with taking a pig organ and putting it in a human. To do that, you first genetically modify pig cells. That was the first step Egenesis took back in 2015 when it inactivated 62 virus genes in pig embryos. From those cells you can clone pigs that grow up, at which point you can take the organs from them. That’s where today’s news comes in: Yang and her team were able to create 37 piglets, 15 of which have survived and the oldest were 4 months old. Now, the company can test the pig to make sure the organs are safe and effective, and eventually move the pig organs into clinical trials. You Might Also Like: Scientists Successfully Transplant Lab-grown Lungs Into Pigs.

Teknologi.id

Tinggalkan Komentar

0 Komentar

Related News

is a multi-platform media company focused on the development of Indonesian and global technology. Teknologi.id is committed to walking side by side with developers, pioneers, and industries to build a better technology development ecosystem.

Global

Version

A Startup Cofounded by a 31-Year-Old Just Got a Step Closer to Transplanting Pig Organs Into Humans

Teknologi.id

Tinggalkan Komentar

0 Komentar

Related News

Kenalan dengan Air Battery, Teknologi Baru dari Israel

The Struggle When Travelling In A Snowy Day

VaeV Tissue, Cold-Runner Virus Tissue Valued USD 84

First Plant Seeds Sprout on the Surface of the Moon

MoMath Museum, Turn Mathematics Into Fun

TrAPs, DNA Nanotechnology for Wound Healing