Pig-to-human xenotransplantation: Overcoming ethical obstacles

Abstract

Interest in animal-to-human transplantation has significantly increased owing to the limits placed on successful human-to-human organ transplantation by chronic scarcities of donated human organs, and transplant rejection. Extracting and transplanting organs from pigs is a promising solution to the current, increasing, global crisis of human organ scarcity, and would provide a vast supply of organs, which could be obtained quickly and selectively. Although potential harms of pig-to-human xenotransplantation exist, such as cross-species infection, transplant rejection, psychological harm, risks of wear and tear and threats to altruism, these harms may be mitigated through appropriate strategies. We address the objection that xenotransplantation is unnatural. We respond that the sense in which xenotransplantation is unnatural is unclear, and moreover, does not demonstrate that it is wrong. Overall, we claim that the benefits of pig-to-human xenotransplantation are likely to outweigh the harms, if appropriate steps are taken. Genetically modified pigs offer hope for a vast supply of organs for transplant in patients, along with a potentially avoidable risk of transplant rejection and disease transmission.S Afr J Bioethics Law 2019;12(2):66-70. https://doi.

Kidney xenotransplantation: Future clinical reality or science fiction?

“…Despite lacking known pathogenicity in pigs, it remains undetermined whether PERVs have the potential to become pathogenic in humans (Cengiz & Wareham, 2019). Under special laboratory conditions,…”

“…PERVs pose a unique risk because they are integrated into the genome of every nucleated cell in all pigs. Despite lacking known pathogenicity in pigs, it remains undetermined whether PERVs have the potential to become pathogenic in humans ( Cengiz & Wareham, 2019 ). Under special laboratory conditions, PERVs have been able to infect certain human cells ( Denner, 2018 ).…”

Ethics, virtues and xenotransplantation

“…Xenotransplantation excites an emotional response in many ways. 35 , 46 Some people see interfering with the genetic makeup of pigs, especially if that involves the introduction of human genes, as crossing some form of moral boundary. For some this will be because scientists are disturbing the intrinsic nature of the species.…”