The surgeon who pioneered heart transplantation believes we are on the verge of another scientific breakthrough within the next few years.
Sir Terence English said that his protégé from the first successful heart transplant, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary, will attempt to replace a human kidney with that of a pig later this year. If the kidney transplant proves successful, there is no doubt the same kind of procedure would work with a pig heart, as well.
The anatomy and physiology of a pig’s heart are remarkably similar to a human’s, so much so that pig’s are often used as models to develop new treatments.
Via The Guardian