Will Pigs Save Our Bacon?
James Lowe
We're desperately short of organs for transplant, so the possibility of transplanting from pigs to humans – xenotransplantation – has many people excited. Dr James Lowe (The University of Edinburgh) will explore whether this promise will – or should – ever be realised. Examining the history – and problems – of previous efforts to make xenotransplantation work, he will probe the possible solutions presented by new technologies, such as genome editing. This show will delve into the scientific, technical, ethical and social obstacles to xenotransplantation, ultimately asking: Could pig-to-human transplants be possible, if so, and should they be allowed?