Why pig-to-human heart transplant is for now only a last resort

Link ?:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jan/11/pig-to-human-heart-transplant-
safety-ethical-concerns

The following is the summary of this �Research�in some main points:

Patient Status:
Doctors are monitoring the patient who underwent a pig heart transplant. It is
still early to determine the success of the operation.

History of Animal Organ Transplants:

Using animal organs to save human lives has a controversial past. Some see it as a
solution to long waiting lists, while others find it ethically wrong. Previous
attempts with chimpanzee kidneys and baboon hearts resulted in limited success.

Challenges and Risks:

The main challenge is immune rejection, even with human organs. In this case, the
pig heart used is designed to be less prone to rejection but still requires strong
immunosuppression. There are concerns about the compatibility and acceptance of
organs from another species.

Advancements and Concerns:

Researchers have focused on pigs due to the similarity of their organs to humans.
However, retroviruses found in pig DNA raised concerns about potential infections.
Genome editing techniques have been employed to address these concerns and remove
retroviruses from pig tissues.

Clinical Trials and Future Prospects:

The effectiveness and safety of animal organ transplants will be determined through
clinical trials rather than isolated cases. Biotech companies are proceeding
cautiously, conducting trials in other animals before moving to human trials. The
reliance on human donors for organ transplants remains the current hope until
further progress is made.

Summarized by Muneeb ur Rehman.