NET News Statewide: Pigs to People, 5/2/03

Organ transplants save thousands of lives every year. But thousands more who need transplants go without. A researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is exploring ways to overcome that problem, using organs grown in pigs. Dr. Bill Beschorner believes his research will lead to custom grown organs transplanted from pigs to people. It's a process called xenotransplantation. Several years ago Dr. Beschorner formed a company called Ximerex to explore ways to make xenotransplantation a practical option for patients who need new organs. He came to UNMC's Lied Transplant Center in 1997. Now he's closer than ever to making his dream come true.