Opinion: Chronic donor organ shortage drives search for new solutions

In his latest essay in The San Diego Union-Tribune, David Brenner, MD, president and chief executive officer of Sanford Burnham Prebys, highlights the ongoing shortage of donor organs in the United States. Last year saw a record 48,000 transplants, yet more than 100,000 people remain on the waiting list and 13 die each day without receiving a match. While new methods are improving how donor organs are preserved and transported, the supply still falls short of demand. Scientists are exploring options such as using genetically modified pigs and creating lab-grown organs from stem cells. Each approach raises ethical questions, but all aim toward the same goal: giving more patients a chance at life.