Can safe transplants be done?

2003/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

Organ transplants from one species to another are called xenotransplants. For example, the possibility of curing a large number of people thanks to different organs that have been taken from pigs, since they are very similar to some of our organs. But in transplants, along with organs, pig viruses could come and infect the sick.

To prevent this from happening with a virus called PERV, U.S. researchers have studied the transmission pathways of the virus. Scientists have identified two proteins necessary for the PERV virus to enter human cells, and the next step in research is the creation of mice with receptors of these proteins, which allow to investigate what type of cells are contaminated by the virus.