Some developing biotechnologies challenge accepted legal and ethical norms because of the risks they pose. Xenotransplantation (cross-species transplantation) may prolong life but may also harm the xeno-recipient and the public due to its potential to transmit infectious diseases. These trans-boundary diseases emphasise the global nature of advances in health care and highlight the difficulties of identifying, monitoring and regulating such risks and thereby protecting individual and public health. Xenotransplantation raises questions about how uncertainty and risk are understood and accepted, and exposes tensions between private benefit and public health. Where public health is at risk, a precautionary approach informed by the harm principle supports prioritising the latter, but the issues raised by genetically engineered solid organ xenotransplants have not, as yet, been sufficiently discussed. This must occur prior to their clinical introduction because of the necessary changes to accepted norms which are needed to appropriately safeguard individual and public health.

This title provides an illuminating examination of the current state of xenotransplantation – grafting or transplanting organs or tissues between members of different species – and how it might move forward into the clinic. To be sure, this is a critical topic, as a major problem that remains worldwide is an inadequate supply of organs from deceased human donors, severely limiting the number of organ transplants that can be performed each year. Based on presentations given at a major conference on xenotransplantation, this title includes important views from many leading experts who were invited to present their data and opinions on how xenotransplantation can advance into the clinic. Attention was concentrated on pig kidney and heart transplantation as it is in regard to these organs that most progress has been made. Collectively, these chapters effectively highlight the many advantages of xenotransplantation to patients with end-stage organ failure, thereby encouraging the mapping of a concrete pathway to clinical xenotransplantation. The book is organized across 22 chapters, beginning with background information on clinical and experimental xenotransplantation. Following this are discussions addressing how pigs can be genetically engineered for their organs to be resistant to the human immune response through deletion of pig xenoantigens, and the insertion of ‘protective’ human transgenes. Subsequent chapters analyze complications that arise in practice, comparing allotransplant and xenotransplant rejection. The selection of the ideal patients for the first clinical trials is discussed. Finally, the book concludes with an analysis on the regulatory, economic, and social aspects of this research, including FDA perspectives and the sensitive, psychosocial factors regarding allotransplantation and xenotransplantation. A major and timely addition to the literature, Clinical Xenotransplantation will be of great interest to all researchers, physicians, and academics from other disciplines with an interest in xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation could have an impact on at least three aspects of medicine. The first is as a means of overcoming a severe shortage of human donor organs for the treatment of organ failure. The second aspect relates to the possibility that a xenogeneic organ would not be susceptible to infection by a "human" virus and thus the xenograft might resist injury caused by such viruses. The third and, as of yet, unexplored aspect relates to a means of delivering genes for therapeutic purposes thus overcoming some of the limitations of "conventional" gene therapy.

With profound implications for human health and longevity, "Xeno" is a fascinating exploration of the medical, ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding the future of organ transplantation. 17 halftones. Line illustrations.

Saving lives through organ transplantation has become increasingly possible thanks to advances in research and care. Today, the complex field of transplantation continues to develop rapidly, fuelled by demographic change and further evolutions in scientific understanding. The Oxford Textbook of Transplant Anaesthesia and Critical Care has been written and edited by pioneers in the field of organ transplantation with an international team of authors, in order to equip anaesthetists and intensivists with the knowledge and training necessary to provide high quality and evidence-based care. The text addresses fundamentals aspects of scientific knowledge, care of the donor patient, transplant ethics and special considerations. Dedicated sections address each of the major organs; kidney, pancreas, liver, heart and lung, intestinal and multivisceral. Within each organ-based section, expert authors explore underlying disease, planning for transplantation, specialized procedures, perioperative and critical care management as well as post-transplant considerations. Focus points for future developments in transplant immunology are also set out, inspiring current practitioners to engage with current clinical research and help participate in the further advancement of the science of transplantation. The print edition of the Oxford Textbook of Transplant Anaesthesia and Critical Care comes with a year's access to the online version on Oxford Medicine Online. By activating your unique access code, you can read and annotate the full text online, follow links from the references to primary research materials, and view, enlarge and download all the figures and tables.

Although the history of organ transplant has its roots in ancient Christian mythology, it is only in the past fifty years that body parts from a dead person have successfully been procured and transplanted into a living person. After fourteen years, the three main issues that Robert Veatch first outlined in his seminal study Transplantation Ethics still remain: deciding when human beings are dead; deciding when it is ethical to procure organs; and deciding how to allocate organs, once procured. However, much has changed. Enormous strides have been made in immunosuppression. Alternatives to the donation model are debated much more openly—living donors are used more widely and hand and face transplants have become more common, raising issues of personal identity. In this second edition of Transplantation Ethics, coauthored by Lainie F. Ross, transplant professionals and advocates will find a comprehensive update of this critical work on transplantation policies.