In the world we’re living in today, many kinds of diseases, infections, and viruses are continuously arising. At the same time, scientists are untiringly researching about how we can prevent or cure them. Unfortunately, millions of people have been affected and sick that some of their organs fail that results to the need of organ replacement. Many people have died because no organs have been available to provide the need of organ replacements. The shortage of organ replacement has been a bioethical issue since then and it seems like no solution has been available. However, due to the studies scientists have been conducting, they found the most possible answer to this issue – Xenotransplantation. It hasn’t become very popular all over the …show more content…
world yet, and not all countries agree to this, but is this really the most awaited solution to the shortage of organ replacement? This paper will discuss the background of Xenotransplantation, how it was proposed, its benefits and risks to our lives and to the future generation, and the issues it is facing in this biotechnological world. WHAT IS XENOTRANSPLANTATION? Xenotransplantation, as defined by Health Canada, is “the transfer of living cells, tissues and/or organs from non-human animal species into humans (although technically, it could be the other way around or between any two species).” The US Food and Drug Administration defines this as “procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation, or infusion into a human recipient of either (1) live cells, tissues, or organs from a nonhuman animal source or (2) human body fluids, cells, tissues, or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues, or organs.” This concept was initially founded centuries ago, but due to the lack of means to supply the needs of this study, it was rejected.
However, in 1960s, it reemerged. Interest in this area increased when series of events happened related to xenotransplantation happened and they are listed …show more content…
below: • “Chimpanzee kidneys have been transplanted into patients with renal failure” (Reemtsma K, Mccracken BH, Schlegel JU.
Renal Heterotransplantation in man. Ann Surg. 1964 Sep. 160:384-410). • “In 1984, a baboon heart was transplanted into a newborn infant, Baby Fae, who had hypoplastic left heart syndrome and lived 20 days after heart surgery” (Bailey LL, Nehlsen-Cannarella SL, Concepcion W, et al. Baboon-to-human cardiac xenotransplantation in a neonate. JAMA. 1985 Dec 20.
254(23):3321-9). • “A baboon liver was transplanted to a patient with hepatic failure” (Starzl TE, Fung J, Tzakis A, et al. Baboon-to-human liver transplantation. Lancet. 1993 Jan 9. 341[8837]:65-71). • “Porcine islet cells of Langerhans have been injected into patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus” (Rood PP, Cooper DK. Islet xenotransplantation: are we really ready for clinical trials?. Am J Transplant. 2006 Jun. 6[6]:1269-74). • “Porcine skin has been grafted onto burn patients” (Chatterjee DS. A controlled comparative study of the use of porcine xenograft in the treatment of partial thickness skin loss in an occupational health centre. Curr Med Res Opin. 1978. 5[9]:726-33). • “Pig neuronal cells have been transplanted into patients with Parkinson (Parkinson’s) disease and Huntington (Huntington’s) disease” (Fink JS, Schumacher JM, Ellias SL, et al. Porcine xenografts in Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease patients: preliminary results. Cell Transplant. 2000 Mar-Apr. 9(2):273-8). In order for a xenotransplantation to occur, its product should meet specific requirements. It must be “alive, and circulation and return of patients' blood must occur through live nonhuman cells” (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/432418-overview) Moreover, it should comply with the law of Xenotransplantation under section 351 of the US Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 262] and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. 321 et seq] which involves the compliance with needed supplies for the governing premarket development. Because of this, a xenotransplantation product must be approved by FDA. BENEFITS AND RISKS OF XENOTRANSPLANTATION Xenotransplantation can be very beneficial to the lives of human beings. One of its benefits os
As a medical assistant, I will tell the patients that we need to establish that radiographs are a necessary part of good patients care. Since we can’t see inside of our body, radiographs provide valuable information that we can’t visualize. I will also tell the patients that if they don’t want to take X-rays there will be a greater negative effect. I will also explain her that if we take X-rays, we will know how to taking care of her. If she refuse to take X-rays, we will not know about her health situation and there will be a big problems and it can also lead to death. I will reassure her that if you don’t take X-rays, we cannot give you the care you deserve without radiographs. So be prepare on the next visit for X-rays. If the patient refuse
Attention Getter: A week and a half ago, there was a news article reporting that Dr. Bud Frazier was being honored for performing the most heart transplants nationwide. Specifically, he performed 1,500 heart transplants and implanted 1,000 left ventricular assist devices. He is also the man who invented the device. Where did the remarkable research and advances begin for organ transplants in human beings, and how did it make progress?
Dr. Bailey claimed that since the recipient was an infant, her immune system was not developed enough to reject the transplant.16 However, immunologists stated that the immune system is developed enough by birth to reject transplantation. Also, since baboons have no antigens in common with human tissue, there is no way the procedure would be successful. Despite these findings, Dr. Bailey told the parents that the transplantation would offer the baby a hope for life and possible long-term survival.16 Finally, when Dr. Bailey was questioned by the Times of London, he stated that he does not believe in evolution so that the evolutionary distance between a baboon and human had not gone into his decision making process when choosing a donor. Dr. Bailey had not looked for a human heart donor nor did he do a ref...
Pre-clinical trials have focused on swine and baboons as potential donation sources. At first thought, baboons may be the obvious choice over swine considering that they are closer both genetically and immunologically to humans. However, in comparison to swine, baboons are toug...
When someone is in need of a transplant, there are several factors that are looked at in deciding whether or not the patient will be placed on the transplant list. Patients receive points for medical need, tissue type and time on the waiting list. Doctors then use a computer algorithm to decide who gets the organs available. Typically, one’s overall health, age, ability to comply with the regimen of anti-rejection drugs and a strong support system also comes into the decision process as well. Geographical location of the donor organ is also very important in the decision making process. (Whitford, 2005) Due to the shortage of organs, not all on the list get the organs they need. If people would get past their fears with regards to stem cell research, we could grow perfectly viable h...
Currently 70,000 Americans are on the organ waiting list and fewer than 20,000 of these people can hope to have their lives saved by human organ transplantation.1 As a result of this shortage, there has been a tremendous demand for research in alternative methods of organ transplantation. Private companies are racing to develop these technologies with an estimated market of six billion dollars.2 Xenotransplantation, or cross-species organ transplantation, appears to be the most likely solution in the near future, and cloned pigs are the main candidates. Pigs and humans have remarkable similarities in physiology, which along with cloning makes pigs strong possibilities for organ donors. A controversial alternative method involves the use of genetically altered headless human beings as organ donors. Although this method may not be developed for some years, scientists are already discussing the necessary technologies. Whether the solution is the cloning of a pig or a human, organ farms may provide us with a solution to our ever-increasing need for donors.
Embryonic stem cell research is the medical study of cells taken from embryos before they are able to implant into a uterus. This procedure – harvesting the cells – ultimately destroys the embryo rendering it non-viable and unable to sustain life. Adult stem cell research is simply the study of stem cells harvested from adults and used in many areas of medicine. Numerous groups are opposed this sort of research because they feel it infringes on the right to life, while others do not believe that an embryo that has spent five days in a petri dish should be considered a human. In the 1800’s the first discovery of stem cells occurred. This discovery proved that some cells could spawn other cells. However, it was not until the early 1900’s that research demonstrated stem cells could generate blood cells. This was very promising in the medical community at that time since so many diseases ran rampant and were incurable. During the infancy of stem cell research, both animal and human stem cells were used. Now, for medic...
Many ethical and social implications arise with xenotransplantation. For example, if some countries allow xenotransplantation and others don’t, there may be a trend towards “xenotourists” – people who travel to get the surgery. They if these people were to contract a disease it could spread and even cause a pandemic. Their country of origin would feel the negative effects so making the decision not to allow this
Xenotransplantation if ever pronounced safe as a working practice would be an unbelievably huge step in our medical science. It would swing doors open that we have previously been afraid of opening. In the future if xenotransplantation is successful it is expected to be enormously profitable. So successful it could receive a Nobel prize for its inventor. So you may...
On your pig nose reports I was thrilled to see that for the last six weeks you’ve averaged 545 animals bred per week and, that also for the last week ultrasounds you’ve had 536 animals standing pregnant. At this rate, you should have the right number of animals farrowing by the last week of August and weaning by the last week of September. Congratulations on this achievement! Whatever you do, please do not abort any animals out of any of these groups. We need to make sure that your animals are staying pregnant and, figure out what your true post-ultrasound fallout rate is. For the previous twenty weeks; unfortunately, ten percent post-ultrasound fallout and, six percent pre-ultrasound fallout. Six percent pre-ultrasound fallout is excellent
Organ transplantation is apperceived as one of the most prehending achievements for preserving life in medical history. This procedure provides a means of giving life to patience’s who suffer from terminal organ failure, which requires the participation of individuals; living or deceased, to donate their organs for the more preponderant good of society.
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The exploration of space is a noble pursuit in the confines of bringing us forward as a species. To reach ends of the cosmos that our ancestors could only dream of, if they even knew such cosmos even existed at the time. However, there are many predicaments that need to be settled if we are to take this giant leap into potentially expanding our world to that of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, etc. These come down to the unification of our nations to meet this goal, the measures we should take to restrain ourselves from the harvesting of all the resources we can find, and the obvious technological need to get us there. However, out of these major walls in the way of our grand venture how we choose to harness such a power is our most important concern.
Scientists must recognize pigs are a primary resource for xenotransplants because a large supply of pigs can be grown under standardized conditions. Pigs are efficient to harvest because “their early sexual maturation and frequent large litters” allow them to produce “a significant number animals” (Slasman, 2003). The rapid breeding of pigs provides doctors with a large selection of pigs to choose from when a patient needs an organ or tissue. Doctors can choose a pig suitable for their patient or coordinate procedures. For instance, if one patient needs a skin graft, while another patient needs a heart, the pig can be harvested to serve multiple purposes. This protocol will ensure the pig's body is used to its maximum potential. In addition
However, these advances are being brought into question. Is it morally incorrect to transplant animal organs into human recipients. Xenotransplantation could also have consequences scientists are not yet aware of. There are too many questions left unanswered leaving one to wonder if xenotransplantation is the best solution. It something of sciene fiction.