#xenotransplantation

#xenotransplantation

In 2003, when Roman was working at KALW in San Francisco a book called Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach came across his desk. The book was a deeply researched and deeply funny exploration of human cadavers and their contributions to science. Roman booked Mary Roach for her first media interview. Over the years Roach has continued to release some of the funniest science books on the market.

Based on lessons from the New Hampshire men and a handful of other one-off attempts, the Food and Drug Administration approved pig producer eGenesis to begin a rigorous study of kidney xenotransplants. "Right now we have a bottleneck" in finding enough human organs, said Mass General kidney specialist Dr. Leonardo Riella, who will help lead the new clinical trial. More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, most who need a kidney, and thousands die waiting.