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To repair brain damage, are pig cells better than stem cells?
There is no particular reason why one cell source should be preferred over another. Pig tissue brings with it a number of problems related to rejection and infection whilst stem cells bring with them problems of tumour formation and getting the cells to differentiate into the right nerve cells. At the moment, both technologies are being developed, as there is an expectation that one or both of these will be able to deliver successful cell transplants for patients with neurological disorders.
Who is waiting for a transplant?
Why the shortage?
Why are transplanted organs rejected?
What is xenotransplantation?
Why Xenotransplantation and what are its potential benefits?
What animals would be used for xenotransplants?
Have animal organs or tissues been used in humans before?
What are the potential risks of xenotransplantation?
How are scientists trying to prevent hyperacute rejection of xenotransplants?
What is a Transgenic animal?
Have transgenic pigs got rid of the rejection problems for xenotransplants?
Can transgenic pig organs be transplanted into humans?
Do pig organs carry potentially infectious agents such as viruses that could be transmitted to human recipients?
What is a retrovirus?
Have PERVs put an end to pig to human transplants then? Has PERV ever been transmitted to a human?
Is xenotransplantation the only solution to the shortage of organs for transplantation?
What is Reproductive Cloning?
What is Transfection?
What is Nucleofection?
Are pig cells transplanted into brains likely to behave in the same way as human cells?
Can pig nerve cells survive in the brain?
To repair brain damage, are pig cells better than stem cells?
Is the XENOME Project concerned about the welfare of animals?