Heart failure: transplantation of animal organs into human patients 'more viable'

Heart transplantation is the main treatment for end stage heart failure. Heart patients awaiting a transplant must rely on mechanical devices, which can increase the risk of infection, blood clots and bleeding in the patient.

A proposed alternative has been to use animal hearts in human patients, which is known as "xenotransplantation."

Scientists have reported success in transplanting the hearts from genetically engineered piglets into the abdomens of baboons, where the hearts have survived for more than 1 year. 

Firstly, pigs were genetically engineered to be a source of donor organs. These pigs had human genes that make their organs more compatible with human physiology. Pigs were chosen because their anatomy is similar to human anatomy.