6/30/2011 PERMALINK
Pigs genetically altered so that their organs can be used to replace your aging organs. Researchers show that altering or overexpressing the human programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) molecule in the endothelial cells of pig arteries reduces the conditions that lead to rejection. This strongly suggests that humans could receive altered porcine organs with fewer complications. 'Genetically engineered pigs may someday overcome the severe donor organ shortage, and save human lives,' said Qing Ding, Ph.D., co-study author from the Shanghai Institute of Immunology at the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China.