In a new development, scientists announced Wednesday that they have restored cell and organ function in pigs after death. Sounds incredible, right? The technology delivered a specially formulated cell-protective fluid to organs and tissues, restoring blood circulation and other cellular functions in pigs an hour after their death.Also Read – Two-headed calf with pig-like body and double tongue born in Russia, dies days later
The findings, recently published in the journal Nature, may help improve the health of human organs during surgery and expand the availability of donor organs. Also Read – Meet Pigcasso — the artistic pig whose paintings cost Rs. Sold for more than 2 lakhs
“Not all cells die immediately, there’s a much longer series of events,” said David Andrijevic, associate research scientist at Yale School of Medicine and co-lead author of the study. Also Read – Foods That Can Age Your Skin
“It’s a process in which you can intervene, stop and restore some cellular function,” Andrijevic said.
The research is based on a Yale-led plan to restore circulation and certain cellular functions to the brains of dead pigs with a technology called BrainX.
In the new study, scientists applied a modified version of BrainEx called OrganEx to whole pigs.
The technology consists of a perfusion device similar to heart-lung machines — which work the heart and lungs during surgery — and an experimental fluid containing compounds that can promote cellular health and suppress inflammation throughout the pig’s body.
Cardiac arrest was induced in anesthetized pigs, which were treated with organex one hour after death.
After six hours of treatment with OrganEx, the researchers found that several key cellular functions were active in several areas of the pig’s body – including the heart, liver and kidneys.
Also, some organ functions were restored. For example, they found evidence of electrical activity in the heart, which retained the ability to contract.
The team was particularly surprised to observe involuntary and spontaneous muscular movements in the head and neck regions when they evaluated the treated animals, which remained anesthetized throughout the six-hour experiment.
These movements indicate preservation of some motor functions, the researchers said. Additional studies are needed to understand the apparently restored motor functions in animals, they said.
The researchers also called for rigorous ethical review from other scientists and bioethicists. According to the researchers, OrganX technology could ultimately have many potential applications.
For example, it can extend organ life in human patients and expand the availability of donor organs for transplant. It may also help treat organs or tissues damaged by ischemia during a heart attack or stroke, they added.
(PTI)
