1. HEALTH OLIVAIN Marie-Rose 2° A. GIDO

6. Abstract : This article deals with,trials of pig tissue transplanted into humans to treat diabetes, Parkinson's disease and blindness are 'imminent' but solid organ transplants - hearts, kidneys, livers - are still 'several years away'. Extract : "In a review of xenotransplantation – using animal tissue and organs to replace human ones – experts from the Thomas Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh say the technology has made "great strides". During the mid-1990s, Imutran, a small biotechnology company in Cambridge, became the first in the world to transplant pigs' hearts into monkeys, demonstrating that cross-species transplantation was possible. However, immune system rejection

7. problems proved more difficult than expected and safety fears dampened enthusiasm. A decade on, attention has focused on the transplant of cells and tissues rather than organs – pancreatic islets for diabetics, brain cells for Parkinson's disease and corneas for the blind. Problems remain, including loss of transplanted cells, blood clots and other rejection problems. New, genetically modified pigs will shortly become available which could overcome these issues and make human trials of transplanted tissue "imminent". "

8. Indexation : - Health - Pig tissues - Human - transplantation - the Thomas Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Source : The Independent (UK daily broadsheet) URL : http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/pigtohuman-tissue-transplants-imminent-2373588.html Found with : Google Alerts, "Health" MRO