In the U.S., transplanting genetically engineered pig organs into humans is gaining ground — yet growing human organs inside pigs remains off-limits. That may seem contradictory, but the reasons are rooted not in science, but in ethics and perception. 

 

 

 

A recent clinical trial transplanted a gene-edited pig kidney into a living human patient. The pig kidney had been modified to mimic human tissues, offering an alternative to waiting for scarce human donors. Scientists once pursued a different route: disabling the pig embryo’s organ-forming genes and injecting human stem cells so the pig would grow a human organ. In 2015, however, National Institutes of Health (NIH) halted funding — a ban that still stands. 

 

The ban wasn’t about the technical difficulty. Instead, it rested on ethical concerns: human cells might migrate into the pig’s brain or other tissues, potentially creating an animal with human-like consciousness. Some argued such “chimera” pigs should be treated like human research subjects. Critics of the ban say this reasoning is inconsistent. After all, regulators currently permit making pigs “a little more human” (through gene edits) — while rejecting the idea of pigs carrying fully human organs. 

 

 

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

Pig organ transplants in humans are moving forward — gene-edited pig kidneys already are being tested clinically to address the major shortage of donor organs. 

 

Growing human organs in pigs remains banned under an NIH funding pause since 2015, largely due to ethical concerns about human-like cognition in chimeric animals. 

 

The ban is rooted in moral assumptions, not science — critics argue the logic treats human-cell chimeric pigs inconsistently compared with genetically edited pigs whose organs are already used in humans. 

 

Adapted From 

 

https://theconversation.com/putting-pig-organs-in-people-is-ok-in-the-us-but-growing-human-organs-in-pigs-is-not-why-is-that-270562

Could lead to Frankenpigs but experimenting on animals is unethical anyway. Pigs have feelings.

Hardly new, my friend had a pig heart valve transplant many years ago

18 minutes ago, kwonitoy said:

Hardly new, my friend had a pig heart valve transplant many years ago

 

Read the first bolded paragraph, for a better understanding of the topic, please

 

 

50 minutes ago, Bacon1 said:

The ban wasn’t about the technical difficulty. Instead, it rested on ethical concerns: human cells might migrate into the pig’s brain or other tissues, potentially creating an animal with human-like consciousness.

So that's what happened to RFK Jr. The worm that was in his brain transferred cells to him and gave him worm consciousness.

 

I do expect him to rescind the 2015 law however.

There are many real ethical considerations,  ranging from concerns about chimeras evolving or being created to straightforward exploitation of pigs- itself certainly arguable.

 

There is a need for thoughtful debate and decisions (which inevitably will have international ramifications) should be reached after some clear moral and ethical direction; this makes it of concern that the whole business is likely to be under the direction of "the nutter on the Washington DC bus"!

10 hours ago, gargamon said:

So that's what happened to RFK Jr. The worm that was in his brain transferred cells to him and gave him worm consciousness.

 

I do expect him to rescind the 2015 law however.

Ah, you mean like larb! I'm an organ donor--save the pigs!

Seinfeld already predicted this.