Xenotransplantation
Pigs and Humans
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What is xenotransplantation?
History of . . .
Statistics
Biological Concept of . . .
Ethical Issues of . . .
Where are we going with . . .
Works Cited
Photos Cited
Rebecca Lewis
Frontiers in Biology
What is Xenotransplantation?
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Xenotransplantation
refers to the practice
of transplanting,
implanting, or infusing
living cells, tissues, or
organs from one
species to another.
History of Xenotransplantation
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1682 – Bone from a dog was used in Russia in
an attempt to repair his injured skull. This
attempt was reported successful, but the
Russian had the bone removed soon after
surgery under threat of the church of
excommunication.
Late 1800’s – Frog Skins were often used as a
way of healing burns or skin ulcers by grafting
said skin directly onto the patient’s skin. One
British Army surgeon was known to have
claimed using this procedure a plethora of times
with good results.
1905 – French Surgeon grafts kidney tissues
from a rabbit into a child, the child died two
weeks later
1920 – Doctor Serge Voronoff transplanted
tissues from the testicles of monkeys into older
men, claiming that the procedure brought sexual
rejuvenation. Among his patients was the
famous poet William Butler Yeats.
History of Xenotransplantation
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1963-4 – Thomas Starzl grafts baboon
kidneys into six patients. The patients only
lasted between 19 and 98 days.
1963-4 – 12 patients received Chimpanzee
kidneys , however, most failed within two
months of the surgery, though one did live for
nine months, the longest time for a
xenotransplantation patient to live up to this
date.
1964 – A 68-year-old man dies two hours
after receiving a Chimpanzee heart.
1969-1974 – Chimpanzee livers were
transplanted into three children. They only
survived between one to fourteen days.
1977 – A 25-year-old woman receives a
baboon heart but dies only six hours after
surgery. About the same time a 60-year-old
man receives a chimpanzee heart to assist
his own heart, but dies four days after.
History of Xenotransplantation
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1984 – Baby Faye receives a baboon heart
and dies 20 days later.
1992 – Using a four-drug “cocktail” to assist
the transplantation of a baboon liver a patient
lives for 71 days. However, the patient died of
a brain hemorrhage and the type of rejection
typical was not seen.
1992 – A pig liver was placed besides the
patients own liver in hopes that the extra liver
would assist the patient’s liver long enough for
a human donor to be found. The patient died
after 32 hours.
1993 – Baboon marrow and kidney transplant,
patient dies after 26 days.
1995 – Immune cells from a Baboon used for
an AIDS patient. Condition improved though
cells died quickly.
1997 – Pig fetal nerve cells used in patients
with Parkinson’s disease. Pig cells survived in
one patient for over 7 months
Statistics
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Only 5% of the organs needed
are available
1990 United States – 21,914
people in need of transplants,
12,580 received them
1990-1999 United States –
59% increase in rate of organ
donors
2001 United States – 80,374
people in need of transplants
2001 United States – 6,124
people died waiting for
transplants
Statistics
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1996-2000 Canada – Waiting
list grows by 62%
1996-2000 Canada – Number
of transplants increases by
22%
1999 Canada – 170
(approximately 40% of those
on the waiting list) people die
waiting for transplants
2001 Canada – Almost 4,000
people waiting for transplants,
a 15.6% increase in 3 years
Statistics
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The Need for Organ Donors
grows at 15% per year
2004 Australia – In a survey
two-thirds say they would use
an animal organ to save their
life
2004 Australia – Survey
shows 7 out of 10 males
would agree to
xenotransplantation
2004 Australia – Survey
shows 6 out of 10 woman
would agree to
xenotransplantation
Biological Concepts
Modern Uses
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Transplanted animal
cells to be used for
hemophillia, diabetes,
Alzheimer’s, and
Parkinson’s disease
 Organ Transplants
 A Way of delivering
genes of therapeutic
importance
Biological Concepts
Primates vs. Pigs
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Pigs have larger organs
Pigs are already
slaughtered every day for
meat
Primates have smaller
organs
Primates share most of
our genetic make up
Primates are not available
in mass
Biological Concepts
Existing Problems and Worries
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25 known diseases
can be contacted
from pig to human
 Rejection rate is
higher
 Public Health risks
 Perfection of Cloning
Biological Concepts
Solutions to the Problems
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Pig Organ
Selective breeding
Genetic alterations
Containment
New and more
powerful drugs
More Research
Ethical Issues
Religion
Jewish – Forbidden to
eat any part of a pig
 Heart is the seat of
the soul
 No hybridization of
man with any other
species
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Ethical Issues
Animal Rights
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Physical discomfort
 Psychological
discomfort
 Why should animals
suffer for humans?
 The right to life
Ethical Issues
Arguments For Xenotransplantation
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Bible technicalities
Importance of human
life
Inspectors for animals
Pigs are already
slaughtered daily
Use as few primates
as possible
Where are we headed?
Although to date there still hasn’t been any long term
success with xenotransplantation scientists are optimistic
that humans will no longer have any shortage of organs,
tissues, or cells for transplantation. Scientists are
continually conducting experiments to find new ways to
solve any existing problems and to help prevent any new
problems. These range from developing new
medications for rejection to breeding genetically
engineered pigs for the specific use of
xenotransplantation. Although there have been some
ethical issues raised, there doesn’t seem to be any
obstacles in the way of these remarkable experiments.
Works Cited
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Berger, Alan H. and Gil Lamont. “Animal Organs
Won’t Solve the Transplantation Shortage.” USA
Today. 128.2654 (1999) : 56
Boyce, Nell. “Mixing Species – and crossing a live?”
U.S. News & World Report. 27, Oct. 2003 : 58+.
Bryan, Jenny and John Clare. Organ Farm. Carlton
Books Limited, 2001.
Cooper, David K.C. “Clinical Xenotransplantation –
how close are we?” Lancet. 362.9383 (2003) : 3.
D’Silva, Joyce. “Dying to live.” Chemistry and
Industry. 4 Dec. 2000: 767
Editorial. “Xeno’s paradox: putting animal organs into
humans is a risk to public health.” The Economist.
341.7997 (1996) : 16.
Hutchinson, Ian. “The ethics of xenotransplantation.”
Biological Sciences Review. 12.2 (1999) : 36.
Lanza, Robert and David K.C. Cooper.
“Xenotransplantation”. Scientific America. 277.1
(1997) : 54-6.
Works Cited
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Molzahn, Anita E, Rosalie Starzomski, and Janice
McCormick. “The Supply of organs for
transplantation: issues and challenges.” Nephrology
Nursing Journal. 20.1 (2003) : 17(12).
Platt, Jeffery L. “Biotechnology: Xenotransplantation.”
Encyclopedia of Animal Science. Marcel Dekker,
2005.
Ravelingien, A, F. Mortier, E. Mortier, I. Kerremans,
and J. Braeckman. “Proceeding with Clinical trials of
animal to human organ transplantation: a way out of
the dilemma.” Journal of Medical Ethics. 30.1 (2004)
: 92-6
Sci/Tech at BBC News. “The History of
Xenotransplantation” http://www.viewingspace.com
Aug. 1999.
Thomas, Jodie. “Survey backs animal organs.”
Australian Business Intelligence. 22, Aug. 2004: N/A
Travis, John. “Pig virus raises xenotransplantation
alarms.” Science News. 151.16 (1997) : 245
Photos Cited
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“Baby Fae.” Photo. Aug. 1999. The History of
Xenotransplantation. 20 Oct. 2005.
<http://www.viewingspace.com>
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Collony, Sandra. “Baboon Near Cage.” Illustration.
Xenotransplantation. 20 Oct 2005.
<http://www.ul.ie/elements/Issue7/images/Xenotrans
plantation_files/image002.jpg>
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Collony, Sandra. “Lots of Little Pigs.” Photo.
Xenotransplantation. 20 Oct 2005. <
http://www.ul.ie/elements/Issue7/images/Xenotranspl
antation_files/image002.jpg>
Collony Sandra. “Two Pigs Cartoon.” Photo.
Xenotransplantation. 20 Oct 2005. <
http://www.ul.ie/elements/Issue7/images/Xenotranspl
antation_files/image002.jpg>
Photos Cited
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“Doctors at Work.” Photo. Xenotransplantation. 20 Oct
2005.
<http://www.scienceandsociety.emory.edu/GMO/Xenotr
ansplantation_files/image002.jpg>
Forna, Shiela. “Baboon/Pig.” Illustration. 2000. Merger
Signals in Xenotransplantation Research. 20 Oct 2005.
<http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v6/n11/images/nm1
100_1195_I1.jpg>
“Heteroptic Mouse Model of Xenotransplantation.”
Illustration. 2001. Vascular Biology and
Xenotransplantation. 20 Oct 2005.
<http://www.wlab.gu.se/em/index-filer/image008.jpg>
Loss, Martin. “Pig Organ.” Photo. 2004.
Xenotransplantation. 20 Oct 2005. <h
Organ Farm. “Monkey Under.” Photo. Primates,
Baboons, and Pigs. 20 Oct 2005.
<http://www.xenodiaries.org/images/babop3.jpg>
Pharma, Novartis. “Little Pig and Organ.” Illustration.
20 Oct 2005.
<http://www.novartistransplantation.de/pub/organtrans
plantation/images/geschichte_xenotx.jpg>
Photos Cited
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“Pig to Human.” Illustration. Xenotransplantation. 20
Oct 2005. <http://www.liberationmag.org.uk/0413.jpg>
“Porky Cartoon.” Illustration. 2000. Xenotransplantation
Humor. 20 Oct 2005. <http://www.crtonline.org/cartoons/xeno3.gif>
Sue Cue Direct. “Xenotransplantation: She Has the
Right to Listen, but Not to Speak.” 02 Oct. 2005. Prints
by Sue Coe 1979-Present. Sue Coe Direct. 11 Oct.
2005.
<http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.g
raphicwitness.org/coe/xeno1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.
graphicwitness.org/coe/prntlist.htm&h=500&w=392&sz
=55&tbnid=sUx3e_BhI_EJ:&tbnh=127&tbnw=99&hl=e
n&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3DXenotransplantatio
n%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D>
“Three Pictures Combined.” Photos. 20 Oct. 2005.
<http://www.juris.uqam.ca/images/xenotransplantation.
jpg>
Unipublic. “Xenokunst.” Illustration. 26 July 2003. Dr.
Claude Kaufmann. 11 Oct. 2005.
<http://www.unipublic.unizh.ch/lenya/unipublic/live/mag
azin/gesundheit/2003/0726.html;jsessionid=AB7AB6E5
5EFEF6E6D61FD907ABE42825>