Xenotransplantation

XENOTRASPLANTATION

Position Paper

SUMMARY 

The Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research (NCER) supports xenotransplantation (animal-to-human transplantation) research and eventual human clinical trials if the following conditions are met. Researchers must: prevent unnecessary animal suffering; determine that there is a real need for pig xenografts; avoid genetic modifications in the source animals that would alter the biodiversity and balance of the species; verify that the personal identity of the human recipient is not affected; proceed with the greatest caution in human clinical trials because of the presence of health risks to the patients; determine that the prospective human research subjects are not candidates for allotransplantation (human-to-human transplantation); inform the xenograft recipient about his pathology, its prognosis, the nature of the transplantation surgery, the risks of xenozoonoses, and the need for life-long observation; and be able to demonstrate that the health care costs of xenotransplantation are justified.

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