THE news of the first successful transplant of a genetically modified pig heart into a human recipient has polarised opinions in very much the same way the first successful human to human heart transplant, performed in December 1967, did.

Despite becoming an international star overnight, Christiaan Barnard, after performing the first successful human to human transplant, still had the humility and insight to acknowledge that it was at best a palliative procedure and that the future would involve a solution that did not rely on the death of one human being for another to be able to live.

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Unfortunately, the wait for a heart transplant may be anywhere from days to years. Anyone needing this procedure will be extremely unwell and may deteriorate to the point where they become too ill to undergo the strain of such a massive surgical procedure. According to the British Heart Foundation, one in six people waiting for a heart transplant will never receive the organ they so desperately need. Even if everyone agreed to be a donor, not all would be suitable.

Pig hearts are anatomically similar to those of humans. The heart selected was from a pig which had been genetically modified to reduce the chances of rejection. Despite this, the recipient of the first successful pig heart transplant will require drugs to prevent his immune system rejecting the organ. As humans and pigs have different immune systems, these drugs will be stronger than those required after human to human heart transplant.

Daily Echo:

The ethics of breeding animals for organs has sparked massive debate. Yet this is not the first-time animal tissue, specifically that from pigs, has been used to help mankind.

Significant religious leaders from both the Muslim and Jewish communities have advised that acceptance of such an organ would not be against the teachings of either religion, as its aim would be the preservation of life.

Very recently, a genetically modified pig kidney was attached to a brain-dead recipient with poor renal function, outside the body, with full consent of the family and worked for several days, producing urine almost spontaneously.

Daily Echo:

There is every possibility that at some point there may be the availability of organs on demand, similar to other prostheses such as joint replacements, without the painful wait that blights many suffering end stage organ failure currently.