These little pigs are set to change lives

Picture the Auckland Islands, a windswept wasteland uncomfortably close to Antarctica. The only thing thriving there is the hardiest of vegetation and the hardiest of animals – the Auckland Island pigs. Now Venture Southland is helping to establish a new home for the pigs in Southland.

Dropped on the island 150 years ago the pigs were essentially food supply for sailors stranded by shipwreck. As shipping improved, so did the life expectancy of the pigs and they were now seen as a threat to the native flora and fauna of the island. About to be culled, some of the pigs were rescued by the Rare Breeds Society of Invercargill and fed using Mayor Tim Shadbolt’s discretionary fund. In their new Invercargill home the pigs thrived so much that they threatened to eat through the whole mayoralty fund and once again there was a call for them to be removed. A rescue came from the scientific world. It had seen the potential of pig cells and was delighted to hear of a breed of pigs that had been isolated from mainstream contamination. Scientific tests have shown that cells from these pigs can be used for the treatment of Type One Diabetes and potentially a range of other Neurological diseases.

This whole story cannot be truly appreciated without seeing the human effect. Pete Thompson was diagnosed with diabetes at age 9. With Professor Bob Elliot as his paediatrician, Pete received a transplant of regular pig cells when he was 15. For the first few weeks following the transplant the cells were effectively producing insulin and performed better than expected. However, an international study which suggested that retroviruses could transfer from the pigs to humans saw the government ban xeno-transplants not long after Pete’s transplant took place. This risk has since been proven irrelevant as the Auckland Island Pigs are entirely virus free. Overtime Pete’s immune system destroyed the cells and he returned to daily injections of insulin. In the Phase Two trials, the cells will be encased in agar which will stop this from happening and will ensure their long term survival.

In order to manage his diabetes, Pete takes three blood tests a day and injects himself with insulin 2-3 times a day to try and keep his sugar levels at a reasonable level. Pete said this makes it challenging as far as life goes but he does not let it deter him from achieving his goals. A martial artist with multiple national titles in Kickboxing, Karate and Taekwondo, he says “Diabetes is a good excuse to be tenacious, nothing is impossible with determination and grit”. The minister of health has approved Phase Two trials, which are expected to take place over the next two years. Successful trials will result in diabetics no longer requiring insulin injections or the complications associated with having diabetes long term. “This would mean a totally new lease on life for diabetics,” Pete said. Additionally, the trials take place without the use of immuno-suppressant drugs.

Living Cell Technologies completed its first world-class quarantine facility in Southland in June and is currently looking at more facilities subject to the success of the Phase Two trials. It has been suggested that should the trials be successful, 40-80 of these quarantine facilities would be built in Southland valued at $30,000,000 per centre. Each Auckland Island piglet is said to be worth $10,000 for this treatment, which is a huge economic opportunity for the region.