Xenotransplantation: Is transplanting animal organs a possible solution to the organ shortage crisis скачать в хорошем качестве

Xenotransplantation: Is transplanting animal organs a possible solution to the organ shortage crisis

Ethics for Lunch, May 20, 2025 Description There are currently one hundred thousand Americans on a transplant waitlist and twenty patients die each day waiting for an organ that never comes. The wait for a kidney transplant is now typically five to ten years. Efforts to increase organ donation rates have proved largely unsuccessful. A possible solution to this crisis is the use of genetically engineered pig organs, or xenotransplantation. Long thought to be unachievable, Crispr/Cas technology has now enabled easy modification of animal genomes and pigs whose organs may be appropriate for transplantation. Johns Hopkins made a major investment in xenotransplantation research several years ago and has become a world leader in the field. Only two months ago the FDA approved the first clinical trial of xenotransplantation in humans, a study which will be led at Johns Hopkins. Multiple questions persist as we rapidly approach the coming of xenotransplant patients to JHU. Learning Objectives Describe the organ shortage crisis and the possible solutions, including xenotransplantation Outline the challenges inherent to transplanting organs from animals Describe the role of a clinical trial in helping to determine safety and efficacy of xenografts and Johns Hopkins’ role in the trial. Questions What are the unique risks to patients who receive a xenograft? What are the risks, if any, to those around them or to caregivers? Will xenografts work well enough to solve the organ shortage crisis? Who will be the first group of patients to receive a xenograft?