Do you agree with the strategy of xenotransplantation to alleviate the shortage of donated human organs? Why or why not?
What will be an ideal response?
Background:
In the United States, almost 29,000 organs were transplanted in 2013, but about 77,000 qualified patients are on waiting lists. Each year, almost 4,000 people on waiting lists die before receiving transplants, and another 100,000 die even before they are placed on a waiting list. Although the demand for organ transplants is rising, the number of donated organs is growing very slowly. As outlined at the beginning of this chapter, one way to increase the supply of organs is to use animal donors for transplants. Animal–human transplants (called xenotransplants) have been attempted many times, but with little success. Two important biological problems are related to xenotransplants: (1) complement-mediated rejection and (2) T cell–mediated rejection.
Proponents of xenotransplantation point to the lives that will be saved if pig organs can be used for organ transplants. Opponents point out that there is no evidence that pig organs will work properly in humans and that pig organs may harbor harmful viruses that will be transferred to the human recipients. Others question the ethics of genetically modifying animals with human genes or modifying humans by transplanting parts of the pig's immune system.
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