Genetically-Engineered Pigs as a Source of Blood Products

Whole blood and its constituents are primary treatments for numerous human patients with a vast array of clinical conditions. Each year, these include >10 million blood transfusions performed in the USA and approximately 16 million patients globally that receive plasma-derived medicinal products costing $30 billion. As the clinical indications and demand for blood products continue to grow, there is a critical impetus for establishing sources that are more reliable, cost-effective, and efficacious than the current system that is largely built around samples derived from human donors. In particular, genetically-engineered pigs that have been developed for solid organ xenotransplantation could also serve as a source of blood products, representing a potential source for fulfilling global clinical needs. Here we provide an overview of the blood product economy and assess the feasibility of genetically-engineered pigs as a source of clinical-grade blood products for use in human recipients. Although the potential need for these products is immense, we draw attention to the special requirement for them in patients with pig organ grafts.