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Man Gets Pig Kidney Transplant

March 29, 2024
Our hosts discuss Jenny’s intrusive thought of whether eating this man’s pig kidney would be considered cannibalism.
the details
On March 16, Rick Slayman, 62, became the first human to receive a kidney transplant from a genetically-modified pig. Slayman, who had kidney failure, underwent the successful four-hour operation on Saturday at...
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Show transcript
00:00
A man in Massachusetts became the first human to receive a kidney
00:05
transplant from a genetically modified pig.
00:09
Wow. So 62 year old Rick Sleman who had kidney failure
00:15
underwent the successful four hour operation on Saturday.
00:18
At Massachusetts General Hospital,
00:20
scientists are developing genetically engineered pigs to make more organs available for
00:26
human transplants. While people often wait years for organ transplants,
00:31
this could change that.
00:33
So previously, doctors performed pig kidney transplants on two patients with
00:38
no brain function. They also performed picked heart transplants on two
00:42
other patients who died shortly after Sleman is recovering extremely well.
00:48
In his case, he would have to wait 5 to 6
00:52
years for a human kidney and his doctor said he would not
00:57
have been able to survive it.
00:59
The man's pig kidney was developed by Biotech company E Genesis.
01:03
It at its genes with a technology called CRISPR so that animal
01:07
organs become compatible with human bodies.
01:11
So I'm like thinking like this organ that's inside this man,
01:16
this pig kidney, if someone eats his pig kidney,
01:22
is that still considered cannibalism?
01:24
Because it was part of like like it was inside him.
01:26
Wait a minute, it's,
01:29
it's like half cannibalism because to get to the kidney there.
01:33
Well, I don't know.
01:34
That's a random thought.
01:36
No. Like it really,
01:37
it really, it would be a case by case scenario because
01:40
could, it could be a mix of cannibalism or just being
01:44
a meat lover? I don't know why that,
01:48
that random thought just went in my head anyways,
01:50
disregard what I just said.
01:52
Hasn't. Yeah. Anyways,
01:53
next story, that story is.