Pigs for Organ Transplant Created for 1st Time in Japan
okyo, Feb. 13 (Jiji Press)--Japanese biotechnology startup PorMedTec Co. said Tuesday it has successfully created pigs for organ transplant into humans for the first time in Japan.
The Meiji University-driven firm used cells of pigs developed for xenotransplantation by U.S. startup eGenesis it imported in September last year. To suppress immune responses, the cell's 10 genes were re-engineered.
Three genetically modified clone pigs were born on Sunday, PorMedTec said.
Genetically modified pig organs have been under the spotlight in recent years in Japan and abroad amid shortages of human organs for transplantation.
PorMedTec plans to supply the pigs to domestic medical institutions for clinical study, it said.
Last year, eGenesis said in a research paper that a monkey lived for more than two years after receiving a gene-altered pig kidney.
In a related development, it has recently come to light that a research team including members from Jikei University School of Medicine has a clinical study plan to transplant a pig kidney into a fetus with a serious kidney disease for temporary use.
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