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Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

nature.com

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Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#171

Post by thyristan »

0x1ceb00da wrote: post #121
signa11 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

fwiw, biological heart valves, as opposed to metallic valves, are already quite commonly used today. biological ones are typically made from either cows, or pigs (bovine, porcine respectively). but this is on another level altogether.

But why cows and pigs and not chimps?

Size. Pig hearts are the same size as human hearts, cow hearts are larger, so easier to cut up for parts. Chimp hearts are usually smaller.

Also, the risk of transmitting zoonosis is larger in primates than in other mammals, because with humans being primates as well, more viruses/prions/fungi might be infectious to both.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#172

Post by cornholio »

d6e wrote: post #41
SoftTalker wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile we can’t figure out how to provide a basic level of housing and healthcare to everyone.

Housing can be affordable or an investment. It can't be both

The key words here are "a basic" level of housing. A house in the most exclusive area of town will always be an investment (not necessarily a good one), because it primarily offers exclusion of other poorer members of the society from your surroundings, not habitation for yourself. It can't be affordable by definition.

But a basic level of housing is a human right, because it's a prerequisite for maintaining your humanity, ditto for healthcare.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#173

Post by basisword »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #164
basisword wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> Dialysis is hell. I've seen this sentiment before but I've been unable to find an explanation why. Searching around it's noted as relatively painless. Can anyone explain why it's so difficult?

I have never experienced it, myself, but have seen several close friends deal with it. They always come back wiped out, and sick. Usually, it’s a temporary thing; meant to keep you going, until a full cure (like a transplant) can be effected. My friend made his decision, because a transplant was not an option. He would need to live like that, for the rest of his life. I have a couple of other acquaintances, that got…

Thanks for the explanation. I can see how something that intense can look very different if you know it's temporary vs knowing it's forever.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#175

Post by globular-toast »

Waterluvian wrote: post #2

“Xenotransplantation” is pretty #%^*ing metal. It’s pretty wild being alive these days. Lots of big stuff the species is struggling to adapt to and figure out how to exist with. But also… we got the tablets from Star Trek. And now we have the ship’s computer from Star Trek, and the early makings of the holodeck. And we’re making pigmen senior citizens who would otherwise be dead. It’s quite something to stop and thin…

> But also… we got the tablets from Star Trek. And now we have the ship’s computer from Star Trek, and the early makings of the holodeck.

If this is Star Trek then I suppose it's a good example of "be careful what you wish for"...

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#176

Post by mjlee »

Maxion wrote: post #147
goku12 wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Asking out of ignorance. Why is the liver thrown out? Isn't it edible too?

Who would eat it these days? The same with e.g. sheepskins. The labor to process them in western countries is so high so they generally just get thrown away.

I was under the impression it went in to livestock/pet food. Perhaps there just isn’t enough demand.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#177

Post by ec109685 »

_heimdall wrote: post #35

I have always wondered what decision I would make facing such a health concern. > Reaching 12 months would be another milestone and a “fantastic long-term outcome”, he adds. I am surprised by this being considered a long-term outcome though. Going through the high risk of a kidney transplant, immunosuppression required, risk of using a pig kidney in general, etc seems like a lot if the hope is for 12 months as a long…

It was unlikely outcome since nobody had lived there long on a pig organ. It is a good milestone since people who live that long, tend to have a good long-term prognosis.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#178

Post by latexr »

Waterluvian wrote: post #2

“Xenotransplantation” is pretty #%^*ing metal. It’s pretty wild being alive these days. Lots of big stuff the species is struggling to adapt to and figure out how to exist with. But also… we got the tablets from Star Trek. And now we have the ship’s computer from Star Trek, and the early makings of the holodeck. And we’re making pigmen senior citizens who would otherwise be dead. It’s quite something to stop and thin…

> But also… we got the tablets from Star Trek.

They regularly used multiple tablets at a time, stacked like papers. What we have is presumably superior from a technological standpoint. Except their tablets weren’t filled with time-wasting features designed to keep you addicted and distracted.

> And now we have the ship’s computer from Star Trek

No, we definitely do not. If every time they spoke to the ship’s computer it made up answers at the rate LLMs do, they would have either stopped using it or would all be dead.

And you’re ignoring we’re also in the stages of getting the surveillance from 1984 and the social class divide from Brave New World. Those are not good tradeoffs.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#179

Post by mkl »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #29
ggm wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'll just get my coat And what fabric is that coat made of?

Sheepskin (the “I’ll get my coat” reference is from The Register ).

https://theregister.com? It's much older than that.

Re: Man still alive six months after pig kidney transplant

#180

Post by Arch-TK »

fbxio wrote: post #157
magicalhippo wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A family member needed a kidney transplant in the early 60s. This was in the UK where the first successful transplant was in 1959, so just a few years earlier. Thanks to a kid on a motorcycle she got a kidney just in the nick of time. She was in her early 20s and was told she could expect a few years. Because of that she never had kids. Her donated kidney served her well and she lived a quite normal life. She passed…

Amazing story. Thanks for sharing. It shows how resilience and intuition matter.

I don't think it shows much.

It's one anecdote. In the hierarch of significance this is below even the "one published paper" level which you certainly should also ignore even if you know enough to interpret the paper.

It's really good she lived for 50 years with an kidney transplant. But it is a massive stretch to say that she willed herself to last that long.

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