Waiting for donated organs may no longer be a dead end. When science pushes the limits to the next level Recently, researchers discovered a way to successfully grow human cells in animals. It is an important step that will change the face of medicine and solve the global organ shortage.
This is called Chimera Or a hybrid creature between a human and an animal. to be used as a source for producing replacement organs But in the past this path was full of thorns. Until a recent discovery that may change everything forever.
Get to know the Chimera, when humans and animals became one.
The word Chimera It often reminds us of fairy tale monsters that have many heads. But in science A chimera is an organism that has two sets of genetic cells in one body. This can actually happen in nature (such as in the case of twins being absorbed in the womb).
But what the medical community is striving to develop is Chimera crosses species (Interspecies Chimerism) Back in 2017, scientists created the first human-pig chimera. They hope to use the organs of these animals to transplant them into people, but over the past 8 years this process has always failed. This is because host animal cells, such as rats or pigs, have a strong immune system (RNA innate immunity) to eliminate human cells that are inserted into them. This makes human cells unable to grow or compete to form organs.
Unraveling the secrets of MAVS protein, the key to success
The turning point came in a new study published in the international journal Cell, when a team of biologists from UT Southwestern, Texas, discovered that the real obstacle is A protein in animal cells called MAVS.
The research team discovered that If the MAVS protein is disabled, it is like turning off the alarm signal of the animal’s immune system. The results are Human cells can survive elimination. Able to compete and integrate with animal larvae efficiently and opens the way to creating more complete human organs in animals.
In addition, the research team has extended the original technique by using Nanobodies to help condition the surface of human stem cells so that they can better adhere to cells of different species. Solve the problem of cells refusing to connect together naturally.
Even though the creation of the human-animal Chimera (which normally make up less than 10% of human cells) remains a sensitive ethical debate. and was opposed by animal rights groups. But in medicine Cross-species organ transplantation is advancing rapidly. For example, in March 2024, Massachusetts General Hospital successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney. First to enter the body of a living patient
Or recently, NYU Langone Health has started a trial of cross-species organ transplants for patients with end-stage kidney cancer.
This success in unlocking the mechanisms of nature This is an important milestone that proves that science can push past limits, but at the same time, the creation of hybrid life is still a sensitive issue that society must question.
In the end The future of this technology may not depend on lab capabilities alone. But it still depends on how we find a balance. between the urgent need to preserve human life with appropriate ethical boundaries? This is a big problem that the medical, legal, and social circles must work together to find an answer for.
Reference: popularmechanics
