Generation Next, Part 1, Xenotransplantation
In the first of a five part series we examine the ways in which medical technology is shaping the future of the human species. Producer Bob Carty has the story of one man who is breaking new ground by having brain cells from pigs inserted into his own brain to help him cope with Parkinson’s disease. The procedure is called xenotransplantation. Proponents say it can help many ill people regain their health, and shorten the wait for donor organs. Critics say xenotransplantation may spread diseases that could get out of control.
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