Xenotransplantation

18.05.2024

Xenotransplantation

Why in the news?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

           Recently, the first recipient of a modified pig kidney transplant passed away around two months after the surgery was carried out.

About Xenotransplantation:

• It is any procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion into a human recipient of either:

   1. Live cells, tissues, or organs from a nonhuman animal source, or

   2. Human body fluids, cells, tissues or organs that have had ex vivo       contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues or organs.

     ○Xenotransplantation involving the heart was first tried in humans in the 1980s.

• The animal organ selected has to undergo genetic modifications, so that the human body does not reject it.
• Even after the operation, constant monitoring needs to be done to check the body’s response to the organ.

Why is pig often used for Xenotransplantation?

• Pig heart valves have been used for replacing damaged valves in humans for over 50 years now.
• The pig’s anatomical and physiological parameters are similar to that of humans, and the breeding of pigs in farms is widespread and cost-effective.
• Also, many varieties of pig breeds are farmed, which provides an opportunity for the size of the harvested organs to be matched with the specific needs of the human recipient.
• In January 2022, the first xenotransplantation of a genetically-modified pig heart was done.

What Methodology is employed in Xenotransplantation?

• The first step involved genetically modifying the pig organs to be more compatible with humans.
• The kidney used in the new surgery was modified using the gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 to:
• Remove certain pig genes that produce sugars with antibodies our immune systems react to.
• Add certain human genes to improve the kidney’s compatibility with humans.
• Inactivate viruses present in all pig genomes, known as porcine endogenous retroviruses, in the donor pig to eliminate risk of infection in the recipient.

What are the complications in xenotransplantation?

• It has to be ensured that the body does not reject the organ.
• One method of doing this is embedding the pig’s thymus gland, responsible for educating the immune system, underneath the outer layer of the kidney.
• This helps keep away any new or delayed immune responses.

                                                 Source: Indian Express

Q - Consider the following statements:

Statement-I

Xenotransplantation involves the transplantation of tissues or organs from non-human animal sources into a human recipient.

Statement-II

Xenotransplantation involves genetic modification of a selected animal organ.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer A