Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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57-year old David Bennett received a heart transplant this week from a genetically modified pig. So, this raises Three questions. Why, how, what now?

There is currently a huge shortage for organ transplants. 17 people in the US die every day waiting for a transplant and there are over 100,00 apparently waiting. And this number is only expected to grow in the future as the population increases and gets older.

So what are the options
- xenotransplantation & genetic engineering (gene editing)
- stem cells & cellular reprogramming
- mechanically enhanced organs

But what ethical considerations come along with these strategies?

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Timestamps:
Why pigs? - 00:00
How - gene editing? - 01:40
What now - ethics & other options - 03:40

References:
bbc.co.uk/news/world-59951264
Here’s how scientists pulled off the first pig-to-human heart transplant - science.org/content/article/here-s-how-scientists-pulled-first-pig-human-heart-transplant

Icons in intro; "freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background"Background vector created by freepik - freepik.com