Should Xenotransplants from Pigs Raised at So-Called Organ Farms Be Prohibited Because Such Organs Could Transmit Pig Viruses to Patients—And Perhaps Into the General Population?
Viewpoint: Yes, xenotransplants from pigs should be prohibited because the risks of transmitting pig viruses to patients and the general population are too great.
Viewpoint: No, xenotransplants from pigs raised at so-called organ farms should not be prohibited because the risks of disease transmission are relatively small and are vastly outweighed by the need for donor organs.
The ancient idea of using the parts or products of exotic animals as tonics and medicines has been replaced by modern attempts to transplant living cells, tissues, and organs from animals to humans. A transplantation of cells or organs from one species to another is known as a xenotransplant. Scientists have been experimenting with xenotransplantation as a means of coping with the chronic shortage of donor organs. Every year tens of thousands of Americans suffer from conditions that could be alleviated by organ transplants, but the supply of human organs cannot meet the demand. Xenotransplants are also seen as a way to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes. Although the field of xenotransplantation has been evolving very rapidly since the 1990s, researchers still face many practical, theoretical, and ethical obstacles.
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Should Xenotransplants from Pigs Raised at So-Called Organ Farms Be Prohibited Because Such Organs Could Transmit Pig Viruses to Patients—And Perhaps Into the General Population article
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