The most crucial and problematic issue regarding transplantation is the widespread lack of organs. In fact even if this therapy is known for improving dramatically the quality of life of thousands of patients each year, there cannot be any transplant without a donor. For this reason researchers are motivated in “early clinical introduction of cross-species or xenotransplantation”, says Richard Pierson, author of an article recently published by JAMA, who takes into consideration and explains similarities and differences between (nonhuman) primates’ and pigs’ organs.

As a consequence of the current knowledge of physiological and logistical aspects of both animal categories, the use of nonhuman primates is not feasible for specific reasons, mainly ethical, and because the risk of a nonhuman primate virus causing epidemic human disease is not acceptable.
Moreover Pierson affirms that a clinical islet xenograft trial involving 8 patients with diabetes and using porcine pancreatic cells has obtained provisional approval by New Zealand regulatory authorities.

The author states that individuals, societies, and cultures generally consider that xenotransplantation is compatible in principle with their religious and moral beliefs, but that there is actually a growing animal rights movement and raising genetically manipulated animals for the purpose of organ harvest for human transplantation raises many controversial issues for which the public is not yet ready. Public awareness about xenotransplantation is still low and public confidence can best be earned and sustained by publicizing scientific progress that offers convincing preclinical evidence for likely clinical efficacy, as judged by deliberate, rigorous peer review, and the Pierson’s JAMA article is a good example.

JAMA. 2009;301(9):967-969.

Erica Villa