XENOGRAFTS: THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE?

In September 2023, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical School achieved a medical miracle for the second time in two years: transplanting a heart from a genetically modified pig into a man - Lawrence Faucette - suffering from terminal heart disease.

Faced with a lack of donors, science is now considering transplanting an animal organ into a human. The risks of rejection and infection are among the many scientific challenges to be overcome. Other essential questions arise: Where is the ethical limit on manipulating the boundaries between humans and animals? Does the future of xenografts lie in breeding genetically modified pigs, or in growing human organs in pig bodies? What would be the consequences for the pig graft market?

In the USA, over 100,000 patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant. Every day in Europe, 18 patients who are candidates for organ transplants die for lack of donor organs. This scientific investigation reveals the inner workings of these medical advances, with their considerable ethical, human and economic consequences.