Pig Hearts Could Keep Babies Awaiting Transplants Alive
Scientists hope in the future, pig hearts can be a temporary solution for babies who need a transplant. UAB researchers recently presented a study about this at The Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ annual meeting. The goal is to prevent pig hearts from being rejected. So far, results seem promising.
Dr. David Cleveland, pediatric heart surgeon at Children’s Hospital and UAB, says it can be a challenge when a baby needs a heart transplant.
“So the number of donors is just not there,” Cleveland says. “I mean, we’ve had babies sit there and wait for nine months in our unit, and then we’ve had a number of babies that die, waiting for hearts. And so there’s a tremendous need.”
To meet that need, one idea is that a baby could use a pig heart to stay alive until a human heart becomes available. Before that can happen, scientists have to make sure the human body will accept the animal organ. Over the years, they have figured out how to genetically modify pigs to minimize the odds of rejection. In their recent study, Cleveland and fellow UAB researchers checked to see how infant’s blood reacted to the blood of these altered pigs.
“I was incredibly surprised that there’s really not a lot of antibodies to these genetically-modified pigs,” Cleveland says. “Which tells you that they (infants) aren’t going to immediately reject it.”
It is progress, but Cleveland says we are still a long way from transplanting pig hearts into people. More thorough testing is needed and scientists need to see how it does on non-human primates before clinical trials can happen with humans.
Photo by Sasint
Editor Note: Children’s Hospital of Alabama is a sponsor of WBHM programming. WBHM’s news and business departments operate separately
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
‘It’s like feeling the arms of your creator just wrapped around you’: a visit to a special healing Shabbat
Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink.
