VOA慢速英语2021--美国成功将猪肾植入人体

US Scientists Successfully Attached Pig Kidney to Human

Doctors have successfully attached a kidney from a genetically² engineered pig to a human body. The organ worked normally giving hope that it could be a major step forward to solve the shortage of human organs for transplant.

The operation was done at New York University's Langone Health in New York City. The pig's genes³ were changed so that it no longer contained a molecule⁴ known to cause almost immediate⁵ rejection⁶ by the human body.

The patient was brain-dead and had signs of kidney problems. Her family agreed to the experiment before she was scheduled to be taken off of life support.

For over two days, the kidney was attached to her blood vessels⁷. It was kept outside her body so researchers could observe it. The kidney did what it was supposed to do — filter waste and produce urine. And the body did not reject it.

"It had absolutely normal function," said Dr. Robert Montgomery, who led the operation last month at NYU Langone Health. He told The Associated Press, "It didn't have this immediate rejection that we have worried about."

This research is "a significant step," said Dr. Andrew Adams of the University of Minnesota Medical School who was not part of the team.

Animal to human

The dream of animal-to-human transplants goes back to the 17th century when scientists tried unsuccessfully to use animal blood for transfusions⁹. By the 20th century, doctors were attempting transplants of organs from baboons¹¹ into humans. Baby Fae, a dying infant, lived 21 days with a baboon¹⁰ heart in 1984.

Scientists have since turned from baboons to pigs. Pigs are produced for food, so using them for organs raises fewer ethical¹² concerns.

Pig heart valves have been used successfully for many years in humans. Skin grafts¹⁴ have been used to help burn victims. And Chinese scientists have used pig corneas to restore eyesight.

But researchers have struggled with how to prevent immediate rejection of pig organs by the human body.

Montgomery's team had the idea that removing a pig gene¹ that produces a sugar molecule called alpha-gal would solve the problem. The genetically changed pig is called GalSafe. It is developed by Revivicor of the United Therapeutics Corporation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the process in December 2020 for possible use in medicine as well as food.

Some scientists are researching whether GalSafe pigs can be used for heart and skin needs. Organs developed from the pigs, however, would still require specific FDA approval before being used in humans, the agency said.

The experiment could lead to transplants

Montgomery said the successful NYU kidney transplant experiment should lead to trials in patients with serious kidney problems. The pig kidney could be used as a temporary solution until a human kidney becomes available. Or it could be tested as a permanent fix.

The current experiment was only in place for a short time. Montgomery added that any future trials could likely bring new problems that will need to be solved.

The United Network for Organ Sharing says nearly 107,000 people are currently waiting for organ transplants in the U.S. More than 90,000 are waiting for a kidney. It can take three to five years for patients to find a kidney transplant.

Karen Maschke is a researcher at the Hastings Center. She helps develop ethics¹⁵ and policy guidance for the trials with support from the National Institutes of Health.

She said raising pigs to be organ donors¹⁶ feels wrong to some people. But it may grow more acceptable with consideration for their well-being¹⁷.

"The other issue is going to be: Should we be doing this just because we can?" Maschke said.

Words in This Story

transplant — v. to perform a medical operation in which an organ or other part that has been removed from the body of one person is put into the body of another person

urine — n. waste liquid that collects in the bladder before leaving the body

transfusion⁸ — n. a medical treatment in which someone's blood is put into the body of another person

valve — n. a mechanical device that controls the flow of liquid, gas, etc., by opening and closing

skin graft¹³ — n. a piece of skin that is attached to a part of the body to repair a damaged area

cornea — n. the clear outer covering of the eyeball

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

3 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

4 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

7 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 transfusion   

n.输血，输液

参考例句：

• She soon came to her senses after a blood transfusion.输血后不久她就苏醒了。
• The doctor kept him alive by a blood transfusion.医生靠输血使他仍然活着。

9 transfusions   

n.输血( transfusion的名词复数 )；输液；倾注；渗透

参考例句：

• Still, transfusions have apparently never spread the disease, even among hemophiliacs. 还有，输血很明显从未传播过这种病，即使在血友病人之间也是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 口蹄疫疯牛病
• Blood transfusions are a special, limited example of tissue transplantation. 输血是一个特殊的、有限制的组织移植的例子。 来自辞典例句

10 baboon   

n.狒狒

参考例句：

• A baboon is a large monkey that lives in Africa.狒狒是一种生活在非洲的大猴子。
• As long as the baboon holds on to what it wants,it's trapped.只要狒狒紧抓住想要的东西不放手，它就会被牢牢困住。

11 baboons   

n.狒狒( baboon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Baboons could break branches and leaders. 狒狒会折断侧枝和顶梢。 来自辞典例句
• And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

12 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

13 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

14 grafts   

移植( graft的名词复数 )； 行贿； 接穗； 行贿得到的利益

参考例句：

• He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。
• Her burns were treated with skin grafts. 她的烧伤是用植皮方法进行治疗的。

15 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

16 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。