It is reported that the UK may start growing chimeras. We are talking about sheep and pigs with human organs. It is assumed that this will solve the problem of the lack of donor organs.
The plans of the British government were reported by The Telegraph. We are talking about the cultivation of human organs suitable for transplantation in animal bodies. First of all, we are talking about sheep and pigs. Experts believe that such organs will not be alienated, since it is planned to use stem cells from a person in need of transplantation to grow them.
The scientific committee on animals of the British Home Office should demonstrate the viability of the method. The first guide, which will talk about chimeras, will be published this week. According to experts, all this is done for a reason and can provide tremendous help to people in need of a transplant. Now doctors are faced with two obstacles along the way. First, there is a shortage of donor organs. This problem is especially true for those who need a heart, kidney or liver. The second difficulty is related to the poor quality of the organs themselves. Among the reasons for this phenomenon are the aging of the population, which is now characteristic of the developed countries of the world, as well as the problem of overweight.
UK legislation is also often a barrier to transplantation. Even if a person is allowed to use his organs after death, his relatives may not be allowed to do so. Note that in the case of chimeras, the position of some religious organizations can also become an obstacle. Nevertheless, as follows from the material The Telegraph, the decision to grow organs in the body of animals will probably still be made.
Previously, something similar has already been done in the United States, but the organs grown in this way were not transplanted to humans. If experiments in this area are successful, this can be done in practice in about 5-10 years.
"Chimera" in biology is called an organism that consists of genetically dissimilar cells. One of the most famous chimeras was the artificially created hybrid of a sheep and a goat, which was obtained in the 1980s. In the creature, a different type of wool could be observed on those areas of the skin that contained sheep and goat cells.
Much more frightening is a recent experiment by American scientists who raised what looked like a human ear on the back of a rat. The tissue was implanted into a rodent, which had previously suppressed the immune system.