The Galalpha1-3Gal epitope (Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R) is an oligosaccharide determinant present on the cell surface of most mammalian species with the exception of the higher primates, including Old World monkeys, apes, and humans. The synthesis of Galalpha1-3Gal epitope is catalyzed by alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase (alpha1,3GT). Inactivation of the alpha1,3GT gene in humans and the ...

... transplantation in humans. The first barrier to successful xenotransplantation is hyperacute rejection (HAR). HAR is a rapid ... to develop a universally accepted animal source for xenotransplantation. De...

We transplanted kidneys from ?1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout (GalT-KO) pigs into six baboons using two different immunosuppressive regimens, but most of the baboons died from severe acute humoral xenograft rejection. Circulating induced antibodies to non-Gal antigens were markedly elevated at rejection, which mediated strong complement-dependent ...

Inactivation of the endogenous pig immunoglobulin (Ig) loci, and replacement with their human counterparts, would produce animals that could alleviate both the supply and specificity issues of therapeutic human polyclonal antibodies (PAbs). Platform genetics are being developed in pigs that have all endogenous Ig loci inactivated and replaced by human ...

As pigs are currently the preferred species for organ xenotransplantation, initial experience in liver xenotransplantation with wild-type (WT) pigs, advances in the development of genetically modified pigs, and recent studies using livers from them are reviewed. The xenotransplantation of livers from pigs ...