A breakthrough in the field of medicine is seen as a solution to the world’s problem on the shortage of human organs for transplant. eGenesis is a newly-established business that has successfully produced the pig variety with organs that can be accepted by a human body through transplant.

Xenotransplantation can be mankind’s hope for human organs shortage

The process of xenotransplantation has been studied for decades and it was found out that there is a huge probability that Pigs’ organs can now be transplanted to humans reports the Independent.

However, there is a possibility that the Human Immune System might react violently. Another cause for concern is that pigs carry viruses known as porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) that can infect human cells. But now there is an ambitious company that tried to solve the problem with retroviruses.

But eGenesis was able to modify pig embryos to totally get rid of the viruses with the use of a flourishing gene-editing tool using called CRISPR as reported by the Inc. There were 37 PERV-free pigs already produced four months ago. Fifteen are still alive and thriving. Their organs are about the same size as the human organs once they reach around 150 pounds.

There is now no worry about the compatibility of the pigs’ organs with the human organs.

But scientists are still finding a way to stop the human immune system from reacting violently to organs of the other species. Once the immune system violent reaction is solved, then many lives will be saved on a daily basis.

Patients wait for years for organ donors

In the U.S. alone, there are 117,000 people waiting for Organ Transplants as revealed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

It takes years to reach the top of the list. There is only 0.3 percent of people who die in such a way that their organs can be used for transplant. Because of the scarcity of human organs, 22 people die every single day while waiting for available organs.

eGenesis continues to strive to make this breakthrough truly beneficial to people by working with George Church, a Harvard geneticist.

Church was able to remove 62 copies of PERVs from pig cells two years ago.

Despite the fact that xenotransplantation is possible, the hindrance which is the immune system’s reaction prevents the practical implementation of the discovery. People waiting for their new organs to be transplanted still have to wait longer.