hours performing the world first. scientists had spent decades building to this moment, which some believe could revolutionise transplantation. the recipient was david bennett, seen here with his son and daughter. he was dying of heart failure and too ill to be considered for a human organ. and here is david with his surgeon. he s said to be doing well, although it s unclear how long his new heart will last. we ve never done this in a human, and i like to think that we have given him a better option than what continuing his therapy would have been. but whether it s a day, week, month, year, i don t know. the science involved gene editing pig embryos. four pig genes were deactivated, knocked out, this included one to stop the heart from growing too large once transplanted. six human genes were added
how long he may have two live. we ve never done this in a human, and i like to think that we have given him a better option than what continuing his therapy would have been. but whether it s a day, week, month, year, i don t know. the science involved gene editing pig embryos. four pig genes were deactivated, knocked out. this included one to stop the heart from growing too large once transplanted. six human genes were added to try to prevent the immune system from immediately rejecting it. the gene altered embryo was then transferred into a sow, with the subsequent litter grown for potential human transplant. i visited research farms in the us breeding gene edited pigs. the hope is, they could solve the organ donor shortage. in the uk, around 500
take away some of the genes that the organ expresses. so you have to take away some of the pig genes. you have to give it some human genes so that it appears to be more humanlike. then you have to make it work a little bit better. the pig heart, in particular, doesn t interact well with human bachelor blood in terms of preventing coagulation. there is this magical dance blood vessels do with the blood to keep the body in this sort of carefully balanced stance, so that you re not clotting too much and not bleeding too much. the pig heart doesn t do that well with human blood. you have to give it the ability to do that. you have to prevent longer term rejection with the use of certain medications. also, there s another concern. you know, pigs can harbor certain viruses which humans have never seen. you need to make sure you re not
surgeons in maryland spent eight hours performing the world first. scientists have spent decades building to this moment, which some believe could revolutionise transplantation. the recipient was david bennett, seen here with his son and daughter. he was dying of heart failure and too ill to be considered for a human organ. and here is david with his surgeon. he is said to be doing well, although it s unclear how long his new heart will last. we ve never done this in a human. and i like to think that we have given him a better option than what continuing his therapy would have been. but whether it s a day, week, month, year, i don t know. the science involved gene editing pig embryos. four pig genes were deactivated, knocked out, this included one to stop the heart from growing too large once transplanted.
with his surgeon. he s said to be doing well, although it s unclear how long his new heart will last. we ve never done this in a human, and i like to think that we have given him a better option than what continuing his therapy would have been. but whether it s a day, week, month, year, i don t know. the science involved gene editing pig embryos. four pig genes were deactivated, knocked out. this included one to stop the heart from growing too large once transplanted. six human genes were added to try to prevent the immune system from immediately rejecting it. the gene altered embryo was then transferred into a sow, with the subsequent litter grown for potential human transplant. i visited research farms in the us breeding gene edited pigs. the hope is, they could solve the organ donor shortage. in the uk, around 500