Strange organ transplant experiments

Xenotransplantation, or transplanting parts of other species into the human body, has recently become a leading field in biomedical science .

Over the past two years, xenotransplantation has achieved several milestones, including transplanting genetically edited pig hearts and kidneys into brain-dead patients. Despite the many groundbreaking achievements, xenotransplantation has a long history of high-profile experiments, according to IFL Science .

Xenotransplantation has achieved great success in recent years. (Photo: AAMC)

Some of the first attempts at xenotransplantation began in the 17th century with the work of French physician Jean-Baptiste Denys, a pioneer in blood transfusion. In the first attempt at a blood transfusion, Denys injected sheep’s blood into a 15-year-old boy suffering from a chronic fever. According to Denys, the boy recovered unexpectedly and quickly regained his alertness and cheerfulness. But the boy’s long-term recovery remains a mystery. However, not all experiments were successful. Xenotransfusion was banned in France around 1670 after the death of one of Denys’ patients.

Centuries later, scientists began experimenting with transplanting tissues and organs between species, not just blood. One pioneer in the field of xenotransplantation was Serge Voronoff, a Russian scientist working in Paris in the early 20th century. He transplanted portions of chimpanzee semen into elderly men suffering from erectile dysfunction. Voronoff performed a large number of these surgeries and made a lot of money.

One of Voronoff's patients was Australian pharmacist Dr Henry Leighton-Jones, who underwent a primate testicle transplant in Paris in 1929. Satisfied with the results, Leighton-Jones returned to Australia and followed up on Voronoff's similar operations.

In the 1960s, the idea of ​​using primates as organ donors caught the attention of Dr. Keith Reemtsma, an American scientist working at Tulane University in Louisiana. Although kidney transplantation had been developed at that time, the number of transplants was extremely limited due to the lack of available kidneys from deceased people. To solve the problem, Reemtsma investigated the use of kidneys from humans' closest living relatives, chimpanzees. Between 1963 and 1964, at least 13 patients received kidney transplants from chimpanzees.

Most of these transplants failed due to rejection, and the patient died within eight weeks. Some had limited success. One of Reemtsma’s patients lived for nine months and even returned to teaching in good health. One day, however, the woman suddenly collapsed and died. The chimpanzee kidney appeared to be healthy and there was no rejection, leading doctors to conclude that the patient died of acute electrolyte imbalance.

Researchers have also attempted to transplant primate hearts into humans. One of the most famous cases was performed by Dr. Leonard Bailey, who transplanted a baboon heart into an orphaned baby girl nicknamed Baby Fae in 1984. The girl was born prematurely and suffered from hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a critical defect that required emergency surgery. Since no donor hearts from newborns were available, Bailey decided to go to a hospital research lab and anesthetize a baboon to remove the heart. He then returned and transplanted it into the girl’s chest.

Bailey’s treatment initially seemed to work, as the walnut-sized heart began to beat. However, Fae died 20 days later from rejection. The case became widely known and controversial.

Even today, xenotransplantation remains a controversial topic for the public, and bioethicists have much to consider regarding this type of surgery. However, the shortage of organ donors kills hundreds of people each year. Although further research is needed, xenotransplantation has the potential to solve the problem and save lives.

Bailey’s treatment initially seemed to work, as the walnut-sized heart began to beat. However, Fae died 20 days later from rejection. The case became widely known and controversial.