Soon .. Pig hearts can save human life!

A medical breakthrough has revealed that pork hearts could soon be implanted in humans to solve cardiovascular problems.

A team of scientists from Sweden, Germany and Switzerland has kept alive two baboon monkeys more than six months after a pig heart transplant, indicating that the process can survive three times longer than the efforts precedents.

The monkeys enjoyed good health at the end of the experiment. Experts said the success of the research could lead to similar actions on human patients.

Patients with heart failure usually need a heart transplant, but heart failure of the donor means that many die early.

In this study published in the journal Nature, scientists genetically modified the heart of pigs to reduce the risk of immune response, as well as drugs to prevent rejection and growth of the donor's body.

Previous studies had lasted only 57 days after the inter-species transplant, but one of the baboons, tested by the Munich team led by surgeon Bruno Richart, managed to stay alive and well. health. At 195 days.

Christopher McGregor, professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of London, called the study a "milestone."

"Researchers have spent decades trying to solve this heart failure," said Professor Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation, "but using a pig heart is an effective way to save many patients, but there is still a lot of way to go and many safety barriers to overcome.As the human body firmly rejects the process of organ transplant due to multiple and strong immune responses.

"This new research brings us closer to the use of pork hearts in humans," said Pearson, which could end the problem of donor shortage.