Pig Blood, Snake Venom Used In Study To Improve Lung Transplants

In an article published in the journal Science Advances , researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, USA, developed a new method to increase the viability of lung transplantation. By connecting the circulatory system of a live pig to the donated lungs, with the help of an immunosuppressant found in the cobra’s venom, they were able to quadruple the preservation time of the organ outside the human body.

According to Flávio Galvão, surgeon, researcher and associate professor at the Department of Gastroenterology at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine (FM) at USP, lung transplantation is a delicate procedure. There is a window of just six hours from organ removal to transplantation, which requires agility from health professionals. “This research made an interesting finding. After a day, they saw that this lung was still very well preserved”, highlights the professor.


Flávio Henrique Ferreira Galvão – Photo: Lattes
Galvão, who did not participate in the research, explains that the international study tried to create a new type of perfusion system. Currently, this work is carried out by a machine that simulates human circulation and can help preserve organs already removed from donors. However, the surgeon points out that “it [the machine] has a reasonable size, a reasonable weight and makes the transplant very expensive”, so it is rarely used in this process.

By using the circulatory system of a live pig instead of the machine, the researchers were able to develop a potentially more flexible and cheaper method. However, one of the biggest obstacles to this research is hyperacute rejection, a process that leads to rapid organ degeneration and “happens when very different animals are transplanted”, he clarifies.

For the specialist, the highlight of the new article was the method by which the researchers circumvented this problem. Various immunosuppressants were used to prevent lung degeneration, including a substance found in the cobra’s venom. According to the professor, “this snake venom interferes precisely with the body’s immune system, thus preventing hyperacute rejection”.

The study is part of a research field dedicated to the transplantation of animal organs and tissues into human beings, the xenotransplantation. Procedures involving this technique are still in the experimental phase and theoretically can considerably speed up organ transplantation. However, Galvão informs that this line of research raises a series of ethical and safety problems, including “the possibility of the pig causing a pandemic resulting from viruses linked to its own genetics”.

In view of all this, the professor concludes that, although these procedures are in the experimental phase, organ donation is still the only viable alternative to save the lives of patients awaiting a transplant. “One of the biggest bottlenecks in transplantation is the lack of organ donors and this, unfortunately, is a serious problem”, he warns.