Medical world benefits from pigs

Pigs bring a lot more to society than just fodder for children’s stories and breakfast bacon.

In the medical world, pigs provide more than 40 drugs and pharmaceuticals including insulin and Cortisone, Epinephrine and estrogen.

Specially selected and treated pig skin, because of its similarity to human skin, is used in treating massive burns in humans, injuries that have removed large areas of skin, and in healing persistent skin ulcers.

Pig pancreas glands are an important source of insulin hormone used to treat diabetics. Pig insulin is especially important because its chemical structure most nearly resembles that in humans.

Pig heart valves, specially preserved and treated, are surgically implanted in humans to replace heart valves weakened by disease or injury. Since the first operation in 1971, tens of thousands of pig heart valves have been implanted successfully in human recipients of all ages.

Other pig byproducts are used in making industrial and food products such as gelatin, plywood adhesive, glue, cosmetics and plastics.

The future of pig parts in medicine is wide open. A recent study at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis revealed the transplantation of insulin-producing islet cells from pigs reversed diabetes in monkeys, giving researchers hope the results will hold true for humans.

Source: The National Pork Board