The Animal That Just Keeps On Giving

The theory that pigs can be used to grow human-compatible organs took a step closer to reality earlier this week. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Milan report they were able to develop a strain of swine that carried human genes in their hearts, livers, and kidneys.

The scientists mixed human DNA with pig sperm; then, the manipulated sperm were used to fertilize pig eggs. Twenty litters of 205 piglets were produced using the new technique. Tests found human genes present in 20 to 50 percent of the piglets' central organs, and also that those human genes would be passed along to later generations.

Pig parts have already been used to replace human heart valves, but pig organs with human genes are still not ready for actual transplants because of the complexity involved. There are other pig genes that need to be eradicated or replaced before the human immune system can accept the organs, and there are concerns about the possible transfer of unrecognized swine viruses. The Italian scientists are hopeful that they can develop and breed pigs with fully human-compatible organs within two years.

More than 4,000 people die every year awaiting donor organs, and it's hoped that the use of pigs to grow transplantable organs will relieve the shortage.

Read more about pigs and, er, organ transplants in the following books!

Spare Parts: Organ Replacement in American Society
By Renee C. Fox
Icky but fascinating, organ transplantation is one of the most complex developments in modern medicine. And it's not just the science; it's also the principles involved that make the practice so complicated. An intellectual and scholarly discussion of the advances in organ transplants during the 1980s and 1990s -- including a detailed analysis of the rise and fall of the Jarvik-7 artificial heart -- Spare Parts is equal parts compelling history and thought-provoking bioethics.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
By Atul Gawande
Dr. Gawande, a writer for the New Yorker and surgical resident at a Boston hospital, gives the medical profession a human face in Complications. A collection of essays on his incredible and unusual experiences as a practicing physician, Gawande's riveting book thoughtfully covers some of the pratfalls of modern medicine -- and many of its astonishing advancements. Whether it's his first cut as a surgeon, or his treatment of a case of flesh-eating bacteria; Gawande's writing remains lucid, honest, and thrilling.

Great Mambo Chicken and the Transhuman Condition
By Ed Regis
Growing human-compatible organs in pigs is really weird science, and Regis' thoroughly entertaining and wonderfully titled Great Mambo Chicken explores science at its absolute strangest and most imaginative. Regis writes about cryonics, private rocket missions, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and living on other planets with the infectious intelligence of an enthusiastic scientist, and a journalist's knack for storytelling and clarity.

A Field Guide to Pigs
By John Pukite
Everything you wanted to know about pigs, but were too overcome by oinking and stink to ask! This very fun reference book for casual pig fans and pig experts alike includes detailed descriptions and illustrations on more than 30 breeds of swine, obscure pig facts, pig songs, pig superstitions, pig folk sayings, and a pig history time-line. There's even a careful and intentionally hilarious explanation of "pig etiquette." Yes, apparently such a thing exists! Farm animal lovers can no doubt get tips on "bovine etiquette" from Pukite's equally enjoyable A Field Guide to Cows.

Pot-Bellied Pig Behavior and Training
By Priscilla Valentine
One of the more bizarre pet fads to arise over the last decade has to be the potbellied pig. Intelligent, affectionate, and brimming with personality, potbellied pigs can be fun and rewarding pets, but usually not without some work. Valentine's infinitely helpful and practical book confronts all the behavior problems potbellied pig owners may run into, and patiently describes how to alleviate them.

Animal Farm
By George Orwell
Almost everyone knows the story: When the abused animals of Manor Farm come together to oust Farmer Jones and collectively take over the land, they exist in a harmonious, fruitful peace -- until the pigs decide that they are smarter and better than everyone else. A classic that's become a part of most high-school reading lists, Orwell's bleak and cynical allegory of Soviet communism remains one of his most powerful and affecting works.

Further Reading:

• Anthropormophically Speaking
• One Hand Clapping
• Chimps and Humans: An Un-Related Matter?