Written: October 30, 2011
Ethical Concerns of Xenotransplantation
Over the past few decades, scientific research efforts have led to numerous substantial medical advances in the realm of Xenotransplantation, which is the utilization of organs from non-human species as transplants for human patients. However, even with advances in medical and transplant technology, there still remain several ethical concerns which must be addressed in order for Xenotransplantation to become a viable solution to the ever growing shortage of human organ donation. Two of the major ethical concerns which threaten to limit or even fully prevent the use of Xenografts are the dangers to the patient, as well as the effects on other humans.
The first major ethical concern regarding the use of Xenotransplantation in grafting organs from non-human species into human patients deals with dangers to the patient. “In any medical decision, the benefits that the patient stands to gain from a treatment must be balanced against its risks” (Hughes 20). Even though there are clear possible health benefits for patients receiving organs from other species, the process could also pose possible dangers to the patient. There is a significant risk of rejection, increased risk of infection that could result from immunosuppression, as well as a risk of acquiring diseases from the donor animal. Therefore, it is vital that the patient receiving the transplants be made aware of all the known possible risks as well as the benefits. Informed consent is very important in maintaining that the decision is adequately made by the patient in a free and educated manner. However, even with informed consent, the choice of the patient can still remain an ethical concern. Some people believe that there are limits to what people should be allowed to giver their consent. It is argued by them that if the results of Xenotransplantation are currently too poor, it would be morally wrong to continue with Xenograft procedures, even if the patient has given their full consent (Hughes).
Another major ethical concern regarding the use of Xenotransplantation deals with dangers to the human population as a whole. An important issue here is the risk that disease transferred between animals and humans may end up being infectious within the human population. With the use of Xenografts carrying possible risks to the human population, the ethical concerns shift from the consent of the individual patient to being centered in the realm of justice. According to Laura Williamson: “There is a risk to public health. Individuals shouldn't be able to consent to procedures which could threaten public health” (Curtis). While it can be argued that the patient receiving the transplant has the right to consent, the risk of transmission of infectious diseases within the human population as a whole is a much more serious concern. However, there are mixed theories on the magnitude of possible cross contamination in humans due to the transmission of disease from animal donors. John Atkinson , who works at the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis “researching the effects of pig xenotransplants concluded that 'a new virus is a theoretical possibility, but I can't imagine that with all our contact with pigs over thousands of years, that it would be a major problem” (Ferzli).
Even though opinions on the subject are widely varied, there are still several major ethical concerns regarding the use of Xenotransplantation techniques for human patients. The issues regarding the dangers to the patient as well as the human population as a whole must be addressed along with many other concerns if Xenografts are to become a viable medical solution to numerous health problems that we humans suffer from.
Resources
Hughes, Jonathan. "Xenografting: Ethical Issues." Journal of Medical Ethics. 24.1 (1998): 18- 24. Print.
Ferzli, Pascal. "The Ethics of Xenotransplantation." The Ethical Spectacle. N.p., Feb 2011. Web. 29 Oct 2011.
Curtis, Polly. "Ethicists fear free-for-all in animal-human transplants." Guardian 13 Jan 2007. n. page. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jan/13/health.genetics>.
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