Introduction
Why Xenotransplantation?
Xenotransplantation carries new hope as it may alleviate the shortage of human organs for transplantation.
Clinical organ transplantation is saving lives of patients with terminal organ failure and requires currently participation of other deceased or living donors individuals. The increasing number of patients with various organ failures and the inadequate supply of organs, has created a gap between organ supply and organ demand. This imbalance has resulted in increasing waiting times and number of deaths of patients on waiting lists. Xenotransplantation carries new hope as it may alleviate the current gap in human tissues for transplantation to meet all patients’ needs. Recent progress in the field of xenotransplantation has brought this method closer to clinical application and new clinical trials could be initiated soon.
What is Xenotransplantation?
Xenotransplantation refers to procedures in which live cells, tissues, or organs derived a non-human animal are transplanted, implanted, or infused into human patient. The categories of xenotransplantation procedures include the following: i) Solid-organ xenotransplantation is a procedure in which a source animal organ such as kidney or liver is transplanted into a human; ii) cellular and tissuexenotransplantation is the transplantation of tissues and cells from a source animal without surgical connection of any animal blood vessels to the recipient’s vessels; iii) extracorporeal perfusion occurs when human blood is circulated outside of the human body through an animal organ, such as a liver or a kidney, or through a bioartificial organ produced by culturing animal cells on an artificial matrix; iv) cellular and tissue xenotransplantation exposure to living animal-derived material is a procedure in which human body fluids, cells, tissues or organs are removed from the body, come into contact with animal cells, tissues, or organs and are then placed back into a human.
Xenotransplants have been performed in clinical trials or as unconventional therapies for a variety of conditions, or as cosmetic treatments.