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by DannoHung 3739 days ago
Wonder if they could use human stem cells on a matrix from a pig heart or something.
2 comments

You don't want to do that. Pig hearts are notoriously less durable (soft tissue tends to fail quickly, like in a fraction of a decade), so there's not a lot of data on the longevity of the circulatory stability of porcine hearts. I wouldn't ever get a porcine or cadaverous tissue transplant - as someone who pays close attention and has been living with an artificial valve for decades. (Human-) Cadaverous scaffolding, sounds ok on the surface. Let's see how much of it and specifically what parts are left intact after the growth process.
Yeah, but if organ replacement becomes something we can routinely do to extend lifespans, then eventually you run out of cadavers.

That's probably a bit far-flung in terms of thinking though.

They do. Porcine hearts are a more reliable, consistent, and easily obtainable source for decellularized heart matrix. It's a great tool for experiments to develop the technology. Transplantation however is a different story.