American scientists were able to partially restore the organs of a pig after death. This could be a breakthrough in transplantation

American researchers were able to partially restore the organs of a pig — an hour after the animal was put to sleep. This is a breakthrough that could change medicine because this method could increase the number of organs available for transplantation and give doctors more time to save human lives.

This is reported by the BBC.

The research also challenges assumptions about what happens in the moments between life and death. When the heart stops beating, the body is deprived of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive. Organs increase in size, blood vessels collapse, and cells begin to die. This cell death was thought to happen quickly and permanently, but the Yale researchers reversed some of this damage in animals that were dead within an hour.

"We can restore some cell function in many vital organs that should have been dead. These cells function several hours after they shouldnʼt," said Professor Nenad Sestan.

About 100 pigs took part in the experiments. The scientists put the animals into a deep sleep and then stopped their hearts. After they were dead for an hour, they were hooked up to the OrganEx system and given a "recovery cocktail"; for six hours. Six hours later, the scientists opened the pigsʼ organs — the heart, liver, and kidneys — and they had partially recovered at least some of their functions. Thus, electrical activity was restored in the heart, some heart muscle cells were able to contract. However, the organs did not function at the same level as before death. After a moment, the heads and necks of the pigs began to move involuntarily. This may be a sign that they are regaining some motor function, but this will require further study.

Researcher Dr. Zvonimir Vrselja said: “Things are not as dead as we previously presumed - we have demonstrated that we can actually initiate cell-repair on a molecular level. We can persuade cells not to die."

Much more research will be needed before the technology can be adapted for use in humans. However, the initial goal is to preserve transplanted organs longer so they can reach patients. More distant ambitions include making even more people suitable organ donors after death and even treating those organs. This technology can also be used to save people who have died from a lack of oxygen, such as from drowning or from a heart attack.