Xenotransplantation, Will Animals Save Humans?
The idea of transplanting animal organs into patients to make up for the lack of donors is resurfacing. But how far can we manipulate the living and exploit animals to save human lives? At the Munich Ludwig-Maximilians-University, genetically modified pigs are being bred to have their hearts transplanted into baboons. In a year, kidney and cornea transplants will follow. Bioprostheses, typically heart valves from oxen and pigs, rare already being transplanted into patients. But while some refuse to receive them for ethical reasons, others rush to benefit from the opportunity. Advocates argue that animal to human transplants might put an end to organ trafficking. Our journalists report on the ethical stakes of xenotransplantation.
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