HOG a kidney - future reality?
Approximately, 180 000 people around the globe are currently waitlisted for an organ transplant and fewer than one out of three people will survive. Could pigs be the solution to this devastating medical predicament??
Xenotransplantation, is the transplantating of living cells, tissues or organs from one animal species to another. Currently, xenotransplants is mainly focused on transplanting organs in particular from pigs to human due to physiological similarities. Genetically engineered pigs with the hyperacute rejection gene knocked out are used as organ, tissue and cell donors for a myriad of diseases and illness in humans.
To turn this possible medical breakthrough into a reality, however, a number of obstacles must be dealt with including zoonosis, further genetic engineering to prevent rejection due to the enzyme a-1,3 galactosyltransferase present on pig cells and a range of ethical and religious dilemmas.
One of the obstacles, xenozoonosis, is mainly concerned with creating a public health disaster such as epidemics or pandemics and the transmission of porcine endogenous retroviruses and swine influenza from pigs to humans. Where genetics plays a key role is in the inactivation of the enzyme a-1,3 galactosyltransferase present on pig cells which creates a sugar that the human body recognizes as foreign and leads to immune rejection. Religious dilemmas could be raised because it is against some relegions to eat pork. Animal welfare and ethics have been put foward as major issues in xenotransplantation. Is it humane and ethical to raise pigs solely for human benefits? Unless these issues are resolved xenotransplants will remain only a “possible” medical breakthrough.
by: Sonia Vaswani (41310832)
Primary references:
Cozzi, E and Ancona, E , 2003, 'Xenotransplantation, where do we stand?' Journal of nephrology , vol. 16, no. 7, pp.16-21
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Dobson, R.A., 2002, ‘Scientists produce genetically engineered, cloned pigs for xenotransplantation.’ BMJ, vol. 324, no. 673
Access article here
Secondary references:
Cox, A. and Zhong, R., 2005, ‘Current advances in xenotransplantation’ Hepatobiliary pancreatic disease Int, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 490-494
Acces article here
