Pig organs to be modified by British medics to treat sick babies

PIG organs from farm animals will be modified by a British team of doctors to treat ill babies in a world first.

Surgeons are to pioneer the groundbreaking op to help newborns with missing parts of their oesophagus.

They will use stem cells from the child to specially modify transplants harvested from pigs and then use the part to fix the tube from the mouth to the stomach.

The procedure will be carried out by medics at Great Ormond Street Hospital next year.

Doctors have earmarked it for ten children struck with the condition, which is medically called oesophageal atresia.

Surgeon Professor Paolo De Coppi told The Sunday Times adults with oesophageal cancer could also soon benefit from the ops.

He added: “We are confident we will be treating our first patients in 2018.

“The focus is on newborns at the moment, but in the next ten years we hope to apply this to adults with conditions such as cancer of the oesophagus.”

Different sizes of oesophagi have already been taken from pigs at a British farm ahead of the £10k operations going ahead.

Before any can happen the procedure has to be rubberstamped by the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Dr Peter Steer, chief executive of Great Ormond Street, said: “This new oesophageal transplant procedure has the potential to transform the lives of children with extremely complex health conditions.

“Our researchers are now working closely with hospitals across London to develop, and make available, this pioneering procedure.”