Animal tissues can serve humans in numerous ways. One illustration involves the utilization of animal tissues to engineer an aortic valve. This Aortic Valve becomes instrumental in the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure, aimed at remedying nonfunctional aortic valves. In cases where a person's aortic valve fails to function correctly, this replacement offers the possibility of restoring normal valve function. Such a procedure is particularly relevant for individuals afflicted by Aortic Stenosis, a condition marked by narrowing of the aortic valve, leading to reduced blood flow and increased strain on the heart.
Another avenue involves employing skin grafts derived from animal skin. Grafting entails harvesting skin from healthy body areas and transplanting it onto burns suffered by burn victims. A challenge arises when burn victims exhaust their available unburned skin, prompting medical professionals to seek alternative solutions. One such alternative utilizes Shark Skin. This specific type of grafting facilitates cellular migration and accelerates wound closure by 64%. Furthermore, this technique minimizes material waste and harnesses 3D printing to create dressings tailored to the specific wound type, optimizing the healing process. Additionally, doctors deploy pig (xenograft) skin to temporarily cover damaged areas until the wound recovers naturally or healthy skin can be grown for a permanent skin graft. While grafts are commonly utilized for burn victims, their application includes infections, skin cancer removal, slow-healing wounds, extensive injuries, and skin ulcers.
Animal skin also proves invaluable in the field of xenotransplantation, which entails the transplantation of organs or tissues between different species. In the past five years, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved using pig skin grafts on burn patients temporarily. Skin is a barrier, working with the immune system to thwart harmful pathogens. Individuals with compromised skin face a higher risk of severe infections or organ failure. Skin grafts act as protective barriers, replacing damaged skin and safeguarding against potential threats. A Boston-based biotech nonprofit has achieved significant advancements by breeding pigs with skin resembling human skin. This advancement enhances the compatibility of pig skin with the human immune system, allowing it to be introduced without triggering immune responses, at least until a human graft becomes feasible.
Furthermore, just last year, two genetically modified pigs were transplanted into deceased humans, addressing the issue of organ shortages by exploring alternative ways of providing organs for people in need. These changed pig hearts demonstrated no signs of rejection and functioned normally. The changed pig hearts underwent ten genetic modifications, including four genes to prevent rejection and abnormal organ growth and six human transgenes to enhance the smooth flow of biological pathways.
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