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What Is Xenotransplantation?

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Transplantation is defined as, the process of taking an organ or living tissue and implanting it in another part of the body or in another body. (Oxford, 2018). Xenotransplantation is a particular type of transplantation “the process of grafting or transplanting organs or tissues between members of different species” (Oxford, 2018) Solid organs like a heart or liver, as well as tissue, such as skin, and or their components or groups of specialised cells can be transplanted under this umbrella term. An example of this could be transplanting a heart valve from pig to replace a heart valve in a human patient. A significantly large number of people die each year waiting for a vital organ transplant from a human donor, therefore, making the xenotransplantation …show more content…
Fifty-four years ago in Mississippi, Dr. James Hardy transplanted the heart of a chimpanzee into a dying patient due to a lack of a human heart donor. While the patient died within ninety minutes of the transplant it brought to life a substantial moral and ethical discussion. The discussion centered around not just the animal to human transplant but also the actual organ. The heart is not just the body’s fuel pump but also having significant symbolism, “many believed that if you transplanted the heart, you transplanted the soul.” organs or tissues between different species (Oxford, 2018) has numerous medical and scientific benefits. Ethically, politically, culturally, socially, economically it is viewed as a complex issue, this will focus on how xenotransplantation is regarded as an advantage. First and foremost, xenotransplantation is practiced and is considered because of the increase in people requiring a transplant. In 2015, more than 123,000 people in the United States were waiting for an organ transplant. (Warmflash, 2015) Around 1,400 people are on Australian organ transplant waiting lists at any time. (Australian Government, 2014). Xenotransplantation is an avenue which provides virtually has an endless supply of resource of cells, tissues, and organs that have potential to be used in humans. Which could potentially make it economically beneficial in the long term, except if xenotransplantation …show more content…
“Xenotransplantation, no matter how scientifically promising or potentially lifesaving, poses critical questions demanding a broad societal examination that considers public health…” (National Centre of Biotechnology, 1996). The central apprehension is that of the viruses that have potential to be transmitted from animals to humans, it is amplified in xenotransplantation and could possibly infect the recipient and then spread to the wider community and drastically to the general public. The particular concerning virus in pigs is porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV). This virus is evident in every type of pig and cannot be eradicated by rearing pigs in sterile environments. PERV is innocuous in pigs, the apprehension is that by xenotransplantation PERV could become active in the human race and potentially create a new strain of human disease that eventually spreads to the population. Alongside, the wider community’s concerns, recipients of non-human species organs have health risks to consider, as the major jeopardy of xenotransplantation is the rejection of the organ. This issue is a major obstacle because pigs are so unlike humans and the risk is increased for this reason. Scientists have been researching and experimenting with genetically modifying the pigs so they do not cause such a severe immune

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