Could Animals Be The Solution To America's Organ Problem?

This year, scientists at the University of Alabama performed the transplant of genetically-modified pig kidneys into a brain-dead human being. And this month, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center transplanted a heart from a genetically-modified pig into a living human patient.The need for organs in the U.S. is dire – more than 100,000 patients are on the national transplant list, and 17 of them die each day waiting for organs. How can the use of xenotransplantation address this need?Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.