Clinical Xenotransplantation

This title provides an illuminating examination of the current state of xenotransplantation – grafting or transplanting organs or tissues between members of different species – and how it might move forward into the clinic. To be sure, this is a critical topic, as a major problem that remains worldwide is an inadequate supply of organs from deceased human donors, severely limiting the number of organ transplants that can be performed each year. Based on presentations given at a major conference on xenotransplantation, this title includes important views from many leading experts who were invited to present their data and opinions on how xenotransplantation can advance into the clinic. Attention was concentrated on pig kidney and heart transplantation as it is in regard to these organs that most progress has been made. Collectively, these chapters effectively highlight the many advantages of xenotransplantation to patients with end-stage organ failure, thereby encouraging the mapping of a concrete pathway to clinical xenotransplantation. The book is organized across 22 chapters, beginning with background information on clinical and experimental xenotransplantation. Following this are discussions addressing how pigs can be genetically engineered for their organs to be resistant to the human immune response through deletion of pig xenoantigens, and the insertion of ‘protective’ human transgenes. Subsequent chapters analyze complications that arise in practice, comparing allotransplant and xenotransplant rejection. The selection of the ideal patients for the first clinical trials is discussed. Finally, the book concludes with an analysis on the regulatory, economic, and social aspects of this research, including FDA perspectives and the sensitive, psychosocial factors regarding allotransplantation and xenotransplantation. A major and timely addition to the literature, Clinical Xenotransplantation will be of great interest to all researchers, physicians, and academics from other disciplines with an interest in xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation involves the transplantation of cells, tissues, and whole organs from one species to another. Interest in animal-to-human xenotransplants has been spurred by the continuing shortage of donated human organs and by advances in knowledge concerning the biology of organ and tissue rejection. The scientific advances and promise, however, raise complex questions that must be addressed. This book considers the scientific and medical feasibility of xenotransplantation and explores the ethical and public policy issues surrounding the possibility of renewed clinical trials. The volume focuses on the science base of xenotransplantation, public health risks of infectious disease transmission, and ethical and public policy issues, including the views of patients and their families.

This is a time ofexcitement and progress in the field ofxenotransplantation. The work described in this book traces the development of the science of cross-spe cies transplantation, summarizes the current state ofour knowledge, and focuses on approaches directed toward future clinical application. The important question is not whether xenotransplantation will succeed, but rather how and under what circumstances xenografts will provide predictable enough results to warrant clinical application. The fact that the best results to date in clinical xenografting were achieved over three decades ago should not be a matter of discouragement, but rather a stimulus to apply new approaches to this area of work. The shortage of human organs for transplantation is cited frequently as the driving force behind the increased interest in xenotransplantation. This shortage is an undeniable fact, but there are additional potential advantages of xenotrans plantation, such as the ability to schedule replacement surgery on an elective basis and the modification of animals, organs, and tissues to improve acceptabil ity in the human host. The advances in the basic science ofxenotransplantation outlined in this book give hope that the immunologic barriers to xenotransplantation will be overcome and that transplanted organs and tissues will succeed consistently in humans. However, if our experience with human allografts provides an analogy, we may anticipate that clinical progress in xenografts will be plagued by failures and rewarded by successes, often without a complete understanding of the mechan isms involved.

Xenotransplantation involves the transplantation of cells, tissues, and whole organs from one species to another. Interest in animal-to-human xenotransplants has been spurred by the continuing shortage of donated human organs and by advances in knowledge concerning the biology of organ and tissue rejection. The scientific advances and promise, however, raise complex questions that must be addressed. This book considers the scientific and medical feasibility of xenotransplantation and explores the ethical and public policy issues surrounding the possibility of renewed clinical trials. The volume focuses on the science base of xenotransplantation, public health risks of infectious disease transmission, and ethical and public policy issues, including the views of patients and their families.

Internationally recognized scientists, clinicians, and technologists review and explain the fundamental molecular and cellular biology that has been applied to the emerging field of transplant immunology and xenotransplantation, and what impact these advances might optimally have on medicine and science. The authoritative experts writing here-many of whom made the basic discoveries underlying the recent advances-examine the biological and immunological hurdles to xenotransplantation, illuminating how the immune system interacts with the xenograft and laying a practical foundation for the use of genetic engineering and animal transplants in the treatment of human disease.

Some developing biotechnologies challenge accepted legal and ethical norms because of the risks they pose. Xenotransplantation (cross-species transplantation) may prolong life but may also harm the xeno-recipient and the public due to its potential to transmit infectious diseases. These trans-boundary diseases emphasise the global nature of advances in health care and highlight the difficulties of identifying, monitoring and regulating such risks and thereby protecting individual and public health. Xenotransplantation raises questions about how uncertainty and risk are understood and accepted, and exposes tensions between private benefit and public health. Where public health is at risk, a precautionary approach informed by the harm principle supports prioritising the latter, but the issues raised by genetically engineered solid organ xenotransplants have not, as yet, been sufficiently discussed. This must occur prior to their clinical introduction because of the necessary changes to accepted norms which are needed to appropriately safeguard individual and public health.

This is the first volume to comprehensively discuss the ethical, regulatory, and social aspects of xenotransplantation research. Organized into four parts, Xenotransplantation begins by examining ethical issues around informed consent of the potential xenograft recipient, the major ethical issues encountered when doing this research on pigs, and allocation issues. Part two examines regulatory aspects from a global perspective, specifically from three major regions of the world doing xenotransplantation research currently, of which include the United States, Western Europe, and Asia. Following this, part three describes religious aspects of xenotransplantation amongst the major world religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. The book closes with an analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies conducted by the editors that assess the public’s perception of xenotransplantation. Featuring original data collected by the editors, this book is an instrumental resource for all clinicians involved in the research and practice of xenotransplantation.