N the blood and enabling an ABOincompatible organ graft to become transplanted without worry of hyperacute rejection.In view of the model I had established of ABincompatible heart transplantation in baboons, they invited me to collaborate with them to test the infusion on the relevant oligosaccharides.I was somewhat doubtful that their hypothesis will be corroborated, but I readily agreed to carry out a series of heart transplants in baboons.Using the collaboration of among their consultant scientists, Egidio Romano, who (following testing the safety of i.v.infusion of these oligosaccharides on himself) had carried out preliminary clinical studies in hemolytic illness from the newborn (Romano et al.a, b, c), we began the study.To my relative surprise and satisfaction, the continuous i.v.infusion on the A or B oligosaccharides into baboons allowed ABincompatible heart grafts to function till cellular rejection (unrelated to ABincompatibility) developed, as it would in an ABcompatible heart transplant (Cooper et al.c; Ye et al.b).Certainly one of the main troubles in translating this research for the clinic at that time was the price of the oligosaccharides.I estimated that, if I had bought the oligosaccharides we had infused, each baboon would have received virtually million of synthetic oligosaccharide every single daybut, certainly, the corporation PubMed ID:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475304 provided these totally free of charge.The role of Gal in xenotransplantationBased on this approach, I was significantly excited when among the Chembiomed scientists, Heather Good, informed me that a major target for human antipig antibodies was the Gal epitope (galactose galactose) (Cooper b, Very good et al.; Cooper et al.a; ; Kobayashi and Cooper).There were a few other oligosaccharide targets, but Gal was by far probably the most essential.I was encouraged by the observation that you will find similarities between the structure of Gal and these of the ABO blood group antigens (Stussi et al) (Figure), specifically amongst Gal and blood group B (Bucindolol Adrenergic Receptor Galili et al.; Galili), suggesting that the human immune response would be similar to both.I had by no means heard of Gal previously, but the Chembiomed team informed me that they had prior information of it as they had carried out some function for Uri Galili, who had identified that all mammals below Old World monkeys express Gal whereas Old World nonhuman primates and humans lack the requisite enzyme galactosyltransferase (GT), and hence lack Gal in their tissuesXenotransplantation working with pig organsPreviously, inside the UK and South Africa, I had realized that certainly one of the important difficulties with heart transplantation was obtainingGlycobiology and xenotransplantationTable I.The positive aspects and disadvantages from the pig as a possible source of organs and cells for humans, in contrast with those of the baboon in this function Pig Availability Breeding prospective Period to reproductive maturity Length of pregnancy Quantity of offspring Development Size of adult organs Expense of upkeep Anatomical similarity to humans Physiological similarity to humans Connection of immune method to humans Understanding of tissue typing Necessity for blood variety compatibility with humans Knowledge with genetic engineering Threat of transfer of infection (xenozoonosis) Availability of certain pathogenfree animals Public opinionaBaboon Limited Poor years days Slow ( years to attain maximum size) Inadequateb Higher Close Close Close Restricted Critical None High No MixedUnlimited Great months days Speedy (adult human size inside months)a Sufficient Comparatively low M.
