'Pig organs to be used for humans in a decade'

LONDON scientists are on the verge of creating genetically modified pigs which could lead to animal organs being used in humans within a decade, it was revealed today.

Professor Robert Winston said he expects the first piglets created to help with pig to human transplants to be born as early as next year.

This is a breakthrough for the Imperial College expert, who has pioneered a technique to create pigs with "humanised" organs, which cannot be rejected by the patients' immune system.

His plan is to breed pigs from sperm genetically modified to contain about six human genes.

The research is still at a very early stage but it emerged today his team at Hammersmith hospital has already produced four piglets from specially modified sperm.

The litter was created by accident after a male pig broke loose from its pen and the piglets were destroyed on the orders of UK regulators.

But scientists froze the dead piglets and tests will show this month if they have any transplant-friendly genes.

Lord Winston intends to use these findings to create a new litter to "track" the success of the technology. It could then take just three years to develop the first pigs with "humanised" organs.

He said transplants of "humanised" pig hearts, livers and kidneys could solve Britain's organ donation crisis. One patient goes on the transplant list every 15 minutes but only one fifth of these ever get a donation.