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🐷 Could animals be the answer?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports, ''Animal Pharm''

SUNDAY 8P ET/PT

When he's not reporting on breaking news or recording his podcast, "Chasing Life," Dr. Sanjay Gupta is immersing himself in investigative reporting to bring complex scientific advances to CNN viewers around the world. In his latest special, "Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Animal Pharm," he sheds light on the evolving field of xenotransplantation, exploring both the promise and ethical dilemmas of a future where animal organs could help close the gap between the supply and demand for human organ transplants.

The Inside CNN team recently spoke with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about his interest in the subject and how his lifelong passion for making complex health stories accessible to the public inspired him to delve into the world of xenotransplantation.

Dr. Gupta, you've been with CNN since 2001, reporting on some of the most pivotal health stories both nationally and globally. What continues to drive your passion and focus on this work?

I am a lifelong learner and perpetual student. Couple that with curiosity, and there's no better job in the world than being a journalist. With medical journalism in particular, I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing our reporting improve the lives of people around the world. I love to learn and tell stories, and this job checks both those boxes.

The field of health is incredibly broad. How do you determine which topics are most important or timely to cover in your reporting?

Topic selection is one of the most important things we do. Certainly, things that are in the news are always going to be the biggest determinant of our story selection. Beyond that, though, we have a lot of leeway when it comes to enterprise stories. I look for stories that have really strong characters, are broadly relevant to the population as a whole and have a real story to tell, complete with a beginning, middle and end. Sometimes we choose stories that have a remarkable "gee whiz" component to them. "Animal Pharm" is one of those stories that fits all the criteria.

Are there any health issues or stories that weigh heavily on you—topics that keep you up at night?

Having reported nearly every day on the pandemic for a few years, I continue to be worried about the threat of new viruses circulating. Most of the infectious disease doctors I communicate with regularly tell me that it's not a question of "if" but "when," when it comes to another pandemic. Novel pathogens are a national security threat, and I think about them all the time.

Dr. Gupta holding a Pig in his report, ''Animal Pharm''

How do you manage the demands of your roles as CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Associate Chief of Neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Emory University?

Finding a schedule that works is the most challenging aspect of my job, and it took me many years to figure it out. I work nearly all the time and barely take weekends or prolonged vacations. The longest time off I've ever taken was for my honeymoon more than 20 years ago. Bifurcating your life into different careers is incredibly rewarding but requires significant sacrifice as well. Practically speaking, I operate every Monday, see patients in the office on Thursdays, and spend a lot of time preparing for the OR on weekends. The rest of the time is spent on the reporting side of my job. In the middle of all that, I've been lucky enough, alongside my wonderful wife, to raise three amazing teenage girls.

In your special report airing this week, you explore xenotransplantation—the transplantation of animal organs into humans—a topic you've investigated for years. What new developments or breakthroughs can viewers expect to learn about?

"Animal Pharm" is one of the most remarkable documentaries I've had the privilege of reporting. With one story, we are able to teach people about numerous Nobel Prize winning discoveries, including CRISPR, cloning, IVF and transplant immunology. People will learn how pigs can be modified to be compatible for human transplantation. Not too long ago, this was considered science fiction, and now it is saving lives. Most importantly, viewers will get to meet patients who thought they had no other options and were waiting to die — but now have their lives transformed by these new medical breakthroughs.

As you've noted, more than 100,000 people are currently waiting for organ transplants, and 17 die each day due to the shortage. Could xenotransplantation be the breakthrough solution to this critical gap?

I think I would best describe xenotransplantation as a bridge to a solution. We will one day likely get to the point where we can 3-D print personalized organs for people or take existing organs, decellularize them and then populate them with the recipients' own cells. Those would be long-standing breakthrough solutions to the organ shortage crisis. They are still, however, a long way off. In the meantime, xenotransplantation could help save lives now.

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