For years, I have been teaching biology students that individual cardiac (heart) cells beat. When placed on a petri dish, cardiac cells will seek each other out; actually slithering over to each other, seeking connection. Once they touch, they communicate. The cells begin to form cardiac tissue; beating together, in a primitive re-enactment of the complete, functional organ responsible for the circulation of life's most precious fluid.
As amazing as this is, the construction of tissue - cells operating together providing a single function - is a long way from the construction of a truly complete organ.
Recently, however, science has taken a giant step closer to achieving this goal.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have constructed synthetic hearts from living tissue. Check out this 1 1/2 minute news clip: (if the link doesn't appear, it's www.wimp.com/beatingheart/
As the scientists note in the clip, pigs hearts are amazingly similar to the human heart, and even now, are used as temporary replacements, or bridges, for patients awaiting hearts for transplantation. Its a question of size, functionality, structure, and similar proteins that allows acceptance by human immune systems.
Transplanting a synthetic heart, or a pig's heart into a person is a stupendous and genuinely valuable addition to cardiac medicine. Still - it does beg questions. I mean, for centuries the heart has been thought of as the seat of emotion, the source of love, and the essence of human soulfulness. When you miss someone you feel heartbroken. When you are wild about someone, you say that he or she "makes your heart beat faster". Despite the Wizard of Oz's admonishment to the Tin Man that he had "no idea how much better off he (was) without one", we measure our lives by the heartfelt joys and sorrows we all experience.
So, what happens when it's a synthetic pig's heart that's inside of us? Do we gain life, yet lose some essence of what it means to be human?
Or perhaps we just give our beloved bacon instead of chocolate on Valentine's Day?
Seriously - it's both amazing and valuable - but how do you feel about this development on an emotional level?
How would YOU feel about having a porcine pumper in your thoracic cavity?
17 comments:
I believe that this advancement is invaluable. The ability to give someone a "bridge" is a significant advancement in medicine. I find it strange how a pig's heart is similar enough to a human heart so that the body could accept it for any period of time. Perhaps this could be applied to other organs as well (even though I bet it has).
As for the heart being the seat of emotion... It's utter nonsense. If people receive transplants, then are they receiving a whole new set of emotions to replace the ones they already had? I think not. Maybe if we performed a brain transplant instead.
-Mike Diamond
Thanks for the first comment Mike -
I'd just like to clarify that I referred to the heart as the seat of human emotions in a metaphorical rather than literal sense.
I also agree with Mike that it would be strange to receive a synthetic heart made from pig tissues or for that matter any other type of animal. While it may be necessary to replace ones heart due to a medical ailment, that person may not feel the way they once did. Leading them to loose that "essence of what it means to be human". This however would be an emotional process in connection to their brain, not to their heart.
Caitlin R.
I find this advancement very important to the medical community, because it means more people will be saved using these techniques. The only downside is that the heart isn't actually a human heart. I think I would feel weird if I had a pig's heart as my own, but if it was the only option and it worked, I would be happy.
The heart being the seat of emotion is a silly concept, because what we feel actually comes from our brain. It may sometimes feel like your heart is broken, but this feeling is brought on by our emotions, which come from the brain!
~Stacy~
I totally want a pig heart! Well not really, but it's awesome that we have the ability to save lives through the fortunate resemblance in humans' and pigs' hearts. I also don't think you would "lose" any of your humanity by having another animal's organ inside of you, the human body has billions of organisms living in it allowing people to live, they are just much smaller than a heart.
On a side note, wouldn't giving bacon to someone who has a pig heart make them slightly cannaballistic? and if the heart was not the metaphorical seat of emotions but a literal one, what would a robotic heart do?
-Daniel G.
So this week's blog made me instantly think of what's known as "broken heart" syndrome, which contrary to the way the name sounds, does not mean the heart is generating the emotional response causing it to break. Instead this syndrome is caused by intense emotional stress which causes the nervous system to release extra hormones into the body affecting the heart in a fashion similar to a heart attack. Even though this doesn't relate to science specifically I'm curious as to how the heart gained the poetic reputation as the body’s emotional center.
(If you're interested in learning more about broken heart syndrome here is one possible source. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2005/02_10_05.html )
Also, I think it is amazing that pig hearts can be transplanted into humans. It makes the connections Shubin talks about all that much more relative.
Equally as amazing to me is the communication that occurs between cardiac muscle cells. This is evidence of how the microscopic interactions we don’t see and rarely think about can have huge impacts on us.
~Katie
I find it extremely intrigueing and fascinating that the medical world has discovered something as valuable as a replacement of a human heart. I had no idea that a pig's heart was similar enough to that of a humans and was capable of giving somebody a "bridge" to recovery.
I feel as though if an advancement such as this one is available, we as humans need to take advantage of this. If there's a choice of whether to die or to live your life the best you can with a synthetic pig's heart, I don't see why one would not choose to live. Although I do see your point in how the heart is "the seat to human emotions," I think that any heart is better than no heart!
-Heidi
I don't really have much to say in response to this blog, because I've known for quite some time that doctors have been using pig hearts and parts of pig hearts to help people with heart disease. My grandmother (who suffered her first heart attack at 88 and lived to be 97) received a valve from a pig's heart after her second heart attack. While I don't remember much of the heart attacks beyond the fact that Grandma was in the hospital when we went to visit, I know that the time I had with her afterward was priceless. Every medical advancement has the potential to give us more precious time with the people we love.
On the other hand, there is a part of me that wonders what gives us the right to take the heart of another animal to save one of our own. Our generation is the first whose lifespan is projected to be shorter than that of our parents, and why? Because we are taking poor care of our bodies. If we don't respect and care for the first heart we're given, how will the second be any different? Pigs are intelligent creatures, with mental capabilities similar to those a human toddler. Would we take part of a toddler's heart to save someone else? I think not.
As you can see, this subject leaves me rather conflicted (as many do). We value humans above all other animals, but one day, we're going to have to realize that we're not superior, we just got lucky in the game of evolution.
Wow, I guess I had more to say than I thought. Oops!
-Jennie
P.S. Having a piece of a pig's heart didn't have even a minimal effect on my grandmother's emotions. She still liked to threaten to hit my dad and my uncle over the head with a rolling pin.
Personally, I hope I never have to make a choice like this! The thought of having a pig's heart inside my body makes me shudder. I don't like the idea of making my body less human. On the other hand, it's not like these are permanent transplants. The people who undergo these procedures do end up with a human heart. And if it keeps you alive, can it really be that bad?
Still, the non-scientific part of my mind is revolted. I like myself the way I am, without any pig parts.
I think that this advancement is a very valuable one. If it opens up the opportunity to save more lives then it is definately an important medical advancement.
I would imagine that having a pig's heart would seem a little bit strange and would take some time to get used to the idea of it. But the fact that it could save your life would be all that really mattered if it were me.
Since the brain is what really controls your emotions, having a pig's heart wouldn't make that much of a difference. Even though it may seems awkward to think you have a pig's heart inside you instead of a humans, you have the ability accept it and appreciate the fact that you are still living and can spend more time with your family and friends than you would have been able to without the heart.
-Amanda O.
I, too, think that the discovery of the possibility of replacing a human heart with a pig’s heart is a great medical advancement since so many lives can be saved. I am surprised though, that the human body doesn’t reject the pig’s heart. I thought you couldn’t even take any human heart to replace an individual’s heart. Doesn’t the donator of the heart have to have the same type of blood? I am amazed that a pig heart works.
I guess, when you are as close to death as being dependent on a heart transplantation, you don’t care if you new heart is a pig’s or a human’s. You are just grateful to live.
A couple of years ago, I watched a movie. It was about a little boy who needed a new heart to survive. I can’t really remember everything, but I think there were no human hearts for him, so he almost died. The movie was fictional, but it showed a possible scenario. This new discovery can prevent dramas like this one.
I don’t think we lose any “essence of what it means to be human”. In my opinion, what really makes us human is our character and what is in our heads. All this is not affected by a pig heart.
I couldn’t watch the video clip with sound because of computer problems. My own computer is broken. I spent the break in New York and DC. This is why this blog is so late…
See you tomorrow,
Willi
A pig heart huh? cool I guess. I don't think I'd mind aslong as it pumped blood correctly and all that jazz. As far as our emotions I pretty sure it's just chemicals that get transmitted in the brain isn't it? so what would having a pig heart have to do with anything? and for all those people who feel and ache in their chest when their loved one is missing, it's probably just your brain miscommunicating heartbreak. I mean what if you grew up and never heard things like "pain in the heart" and "heart broken" and their dearest one left would their heart hurt?
Da Cleava
I feel that this advancement is good, not neccacery maybe, but very interesting. I think that for me it would be weird to have a pigs heart inside me, but if it was to make me feel better and heathier then go right ahead. It does seem strange that it would be a pig that out of all animals that we would be most similar to. However I wouldn't mind getting chocolate and bacon for valentines. Keeping aside the pig emotions for the time being anyway.
Anya P.
Even the thought of potentially being able to make synthetic organs is a major advancement for all parts of medicine. I think that it would be amazing if scientists were able to accomplish this task using human organs, but it still sounds like there are a lot of things left to do. As for the pig heart "bridge", I knew that pig stomachs were similar to human ones (from watching way too much Mythbusters). But I didn't know that pig hearts coould temporarily take the place of a human one. It's great, I only wonder how scientists came to make this discovery in the first place.
It's ironic that emotions are supposed to come from the heart when all thought is done in the brain. I'm not really sure who was the one who thought this originally, but it was obviously long before man-pigs came to be.
I feel that this is a very interesting and helpful advancement. It will definitely help save lives and the wait for a heart transplant will probably be much shorter. I find it odd how a pig's heart can replace our own and that our body would accept it. Though i feel it may be a little weird to have a pigs heart for my heart, i would still do it if it made me healthier. It may be little odd, but if it is the difference between life and death or healthy or sick then it is something someone should take advantage of. I don't think that it would mess with your emotions, because your emotions are connected to the brian. Though i do feel it may be a little cannibalistic to eat bacon after a person receives one of these hearts.
katie b
If I new someone who had a pig heart I think they would be happy to live. I would be happy for them too. It would really help out with donor listings. I wouldn't doubt shallow people would make fun of a person with a pig heart, but who cares they are still living. Nothing else has changed, just his or her heart. I am not saying that people should kill pigs for hearts, but if we have it as a resource we could save lives. I know I am leaving a lot to be said, but I am just throwing ideas out there.
Andy H.
This advancement is amazing. But it seems familiar, when dealing with the heart, that I've seen somewhere else. I recomend watching. SOMETHING THE LORD MADE. It's not religious at all. It's a true story about a young african american who learns and solves the blue baby syndrome with a Surgeon/professor at John Hopkins. Amazing story. And it's developement of the cure for the Blue Baby Syndrome changed our world. And to have a synthetic heart or a pig heart to be able to be transplanted, is amazing. In the movie I mentioned they used dogs as test specimens kind of like the pig. But in this case switching a pigs heart, is amazing. It might be strange talking at a dinner party and saying "by the way, do you like pork? Because I have some beating away like brandy new?" It is amazing. And if it were to help save peoples lives, might as well take the chance. To have it near the size of a humans and function, wow...it's very impressive. A synthetic heart to have been made from tissue, shows that maybe, maybe more and more things may develope over time. Maybe someday there will be the first synthetic human being. Which would be difficult facing the nervous system, the muscles, and eyes.
-Elsa. C.
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