Pig heart boy

**Dr Noodle** · 30-11-2007, 04:59 AM

Anybody remember that kid's TV series 'Pig Heart Boy' based on the book by Malorie Blackman? I'm not sure if it has happened or not but just wondering what people's opinions are on organ transplants using animal organs. I know that sometimes cow or pig heart valves are used but how about whole organs? Plus I'm bored and want to start another debate

**Arch_Angel** · 30-11-2007, 05:14 AM

Seems fine to me. We eat them.........doesn't seem like it's any more unethical to use other body parts.

You should pick something more controversial to have a debate about

Like that teacher that we should be going to war with Sudan over

**Dr Noodle** · 30-11-2007, 05:22 AM

It's only some Muslims who will protest that it's right though...probably.

Your right, though a lot people in the programme seemed to be against it as far as I can remember. Course shouldn't be believing everything the media tells me

**Arch_Angel** · 30-11-2007, 05:38 AM

Well they know where they can stick their offense don't they

To the very small shavings of credit I can stand to give to the "very disagreeable" Muslim council of Britain, they have said that it's unacceptable.

I think (if I remember the BBC program right) that the issue was a human/animal crossover thingi, of course we'd been getting insulin from pigs for ages.....I think it was more of a misunderstanding about what was involved, as if he was half pig or infectious or something

**Pammy** · 30-11-2007, 05:29 PM

The main problem is that some virus might cross the species barrier...e.g. pigs can be infected by both mammalian and bird flu viruses (the big fear was always that these then combine to give rise to some deadly super-virus...)! If you choose e.g. monkeys instead of pigs, just think of things like HIV!
Apart from that, I think it's not actually that easy to use animal organs, they have to be modified to not be rejected...but with transgenic animals, this is apparently not too big a problem. However this creates ethical problems by itself.
Pammy

**Dr Noodle** · 30-11-2007, 05:50 PM

Or chimpanzees with ebola

With regards ethics and transgenic animals, aren't there transgenic sheep which provide a clotting factor for haemophiliacs in their milk?

**Pammy** · 30-11-2007, 08:27 PM

Or the Marburg virus :-) I'd absolutely love to be an infectious diseases specialist, like one of those in the movies that get called to investigate newly emerged viruses in the jungles of the Congo :-) I always get very jealous when I see some TV footage of MSF doctors helping to combat these outbreaks in say Angola! I guess I better do not mention this in any interview...

Anyway, back to the topic: yes, we do use animals to make things like insulin, clotting factors etc...although nowadays bacteria can do this job quite well if there's no complicated post-translational modifications of the protein involved. Else, one can use yeast cells or some other eukaryotic cells.
But I was just mentioning it, since at the beginning of the thread you asked about ethical issues, and they are still present even though it's now standard practice...Some people object to these procedures, because of e.g. worries about tampering with nature, causing suffering to animals via unforeseen side-effects, somehow inadvertently changing animal behaviour, using animals merely as means to an end, etc etc etc...Guess you knew all this anyway so sorry for the ramble!
Pammy

**f_debelder** · 30-11-2007, 08:46 PM

I always get very jealous when I see some TV footage of MSF doctors helping to combat these outbreaks in say Angola! I guess I better do not mention this in any interview...

I would say go for it

! It certainly is a novel and noble reason to want to do medicine...if I could add just don't bang on about how you are 100% sure you want to study infectious disease, may have your opinions change down the line

**NV05** · 30-11-2007, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by Dr Noodle

Anybody remember that kid's TV series 'Pig Heart Boy' based on the book by Malorie Blackman?

Yes!

I believe they use porcine heart valves sometimes? Although its preferable just to dig out the superficial saphenous vein, invert it and stick it in.

Not an expert on zoonoses.