None of 160 humans treated surgically with pig tissue during the past 12 years was infected with porcine endogenous retrovirus, or PERV, which all pigs carry.

Paradis, K., et al. 1999. Search for cross-species transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus in patients treated with living pig tissue. Science 285(Aug. 20):1236.

Weiss, R.A. 1999. Xenografts and retroviruses. Science 285(Aug. 20):1221.

Travis, J. 1997. Pig virus raises xenotransplant alarms. Science News 151(April 19):245.

______. 1995. The Xeno-Solution. Science News 148(Nov. 4):298.

Khazal Paradis
Imutran Limited
P.O. Box 399
Cambridge CB2 2YP
United Kingdom

Robin A. Weiss
University College, London
Wohl Virion Centre
Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences
London W1P 6DB
United Kingdom

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 11, September 11, 1999, p. 175. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.