Xenotransplantation

Objective:
• Understand what the xenotransplantation involves.

Procedure:
Research on the Internet, magazines, newspapers or other reliable sources and answer the following questionsregarding xenotransplantations. Write at least 2 pages.
a. What are the xenotransplantations?
b. What does the process consist of?
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages ofxenotransplantation?
d. How does Mexico participate in this practice?
e. What is your ethical point of view on xenotransplantation?

Results:
Xenotransplantation refers to any procedure that involves thetransplantation, implantation, or infusion into a human recipient of either (1) live cells, tissues, or organs from a nonhuman animal source or (2) human body fluids, cells, tissues, or organs thathave had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues, or organs. Xenotransplantation products must be alive, and circulation and return of patients' blood must occur through live nonhumancells. For example, human skin cells grown outside the body on a layer of nonhuman cells and then used in humans for skin reconstruction can also be considered a xenotransplantation product. This lattercategory of procedures was included in the definition because scientists believe that the potential for transmission of an infectious disease with such a procedure may be similar to that ofimplanting live nonhuman animal cells, tissues, or organs directly into a human recipient.

Xenotransplantation products include those from transgenic or nontransgenic nonhuman animals and composite productsthat contain xenotransplantation products in combination with drugs or devices. These include, but are not limited to, porcine fetal neuronal cells, encapsulated porcine islet cells, encapsulatedbovine adrenal chromaffin cells, baboon bone marrow, and external liver-assist devices using porcine liver or porcine hepatocytes. Nonliving biological products or materials from nonhuman animals, such...