Xenotransplantation

By Pooja Shashidhar

ISAT 351Dr. Mckown

4-19-99

The transplantation of animal organs into the human body

It has the potential of saving thousands of human lives

What is Xenotransplantation

Organ Donation

First successful transplantation in 1954

First transplant was an exchange of kidneys between two identical twins

Now, receiver no longer has to be an identical genetic match to the donor

Organ transplantation now meets the needs of patients who require a variety of tissues or organs

Drawbacks

Knowledge is not enough to save everybody

Tens of thousands of people register for an organ

Great shortage of organs 100,000 die before even being put on

the waiting list The number needing transplants is

increasing

Advantages to Xenoptransplantation There is always a vast supply of

organs Allows doctors to plan the actual

surgery Avoid organ rejection It is thought to be easier to achieve

tolerance with xenotransplantation than with traditional organ transplants

Organ Rejection

The threat is prevalent in any transplantation

There are three ways that organs can be rejected

Hyperacute acute Chronic

Hyperacute Rejection

Seen in transplants that involve discordant species

IgM activates compliment system which punches holes into the membrane of the cell

Fastest rejection of the three types

Acute and Chronic

Acute rejection occurs six months to a year after transplantation

Involves t cells rather than antibodies

Chronic rejection occurs after three months of transplant

Involves t-cells and b-cells

Preventing Rejection

Prevent the binding of antibodies to activate the compliment system

Deceive the body to believe that the organ is not foreign

Inject bone marrow from animal into patient

Immune system will be part donor and part recepient

Transgenic Pigs

Altering pig organs by treating them with human genes

Hope to have fewer antigens on the organ’s surface to which the antibody can bind to

Pigs organs are the same size as humans

Primate Organs

Concordant to human beings and similar in anatomy and physiology

Primates are endangered and cannot be sacrificed

Ethics of breeding primates for organ donation

In Conclusion

Out of 113 people surveyed, 50% said that it was acceptable to raise pigs for organs

41% of the patients surveyed said that they would receive an organ from a discordant or concordant species

THE END

Thanks for your attention!