New line of pigs do not reject transplants, will allow for
future research on stem cell therapies
One of the biggest challenges for medical researchers
studying the effectiveness of stem cell therapies is that transplants or grafts
of cells are often rejected by the hosts. This rejection can render experiments
useless, making research into potentially life-saving treatments a long and
difficult process. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have shown
that a new line of genetically modified pigs will host transplanted cells
without the risk of rejection.