Xenotransplant research worth risks says panel - The Lancet.
The world-leader in xenotransplant research is the UK biotech company Imutran based in Cambridge, now a subsidiary of Novartis. Novartis already own the rights to Cyclosporine A, the main anti-rejection drug given to transplant patients to suppress the immune system.
Xenotransplantation is when living cells, tissues or organs are transplanted between species. To be successful in humans, xenotransplants must overcome issues of transplant rejection, cross-species infection and ethics.
Arguments against research include scientific reasons and ethical considerations. The idea of xenotransplantation is not a new concept. Experiments in xenotransplantation date back to 1905, but the majority of the attempts to transplant animal organs into humans have been made since the 1960 s, aided by advances in the understanding of the immune system and the availability of new drugs.
The world-leader in xenotransplant research is the UK biotech company Imutran based in Cambridge, now a subsidiary of Novartis. Novartis already own the rights to Cyclosporine A, the main anti-rejection drug given to transplant patients to suppress the immune.
The research on xenotransplant, i.e., the organ transplant from animals to humans, is a new frontier where biotech innovation and human rights meet and clash at the same time. The research on XT may lead to important advancements in this sector.
Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time.
The Vatican issued a position paper on October 3 encouraging research into xenotransplantation provided scientists use the utmost caution. The document, issued by the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, said it prepared the paper to address critics who are troubled by the ethics and high costs of xenotransplantation research.