KERA's Think The body parts you can (and can’t yet) replace
Dec 8, 2025
Mary Roach, a science journalist and bestselling author known for her captivating explorations of human anatomy, joins guest host Paige Phelps. They delve into cutting-edge advancements in organ replacement, including the use of genetically modified pigs and chimerism for personalized organ sources. Roach shares insights on biodressings for severe burns, comparing autografts and allografts, and the challenges of immune acceptance. The conversation also touches on the intriguing future of hair regeneration and the complexities of bioprinting tissues.
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Visiting A Super-Clean Pig Facility
- Mary Roach travelled to China to view genetically edited pigs raised in a designated-pathogen-free facility for xenotransplantation research.
- Officials only let her watch pigs via video from a nearby control room because visitors could contaminate the sterile environment.
Gene-Edited Pigs Reduce Rejection Risk
- Researchers edit pigs from birth to remove alpha-gal, a surface protein that triggers human immune rejection of organs.
- Editing the animal simplifies the transplant problem by changing the donor, not the organ after birth.
Chimerism Could Produce Human Organs In Animals
- Chimerism could let pigs grow organs seeded with human stem cells so the resulting organ is genetically human.
- That approach might avoid immune rejection because the organ develops as human tissue inside the animal.
